Pokemon Colosseum: Bonding Shadows
by Mew Ike
Summary: Rui can see Shadow pokemon and Wes can catch them. They're the heroes that the Orre region needs. Now that Team Snagem is on their tails, they have to stick together. That's not the problem, however, it's being apart that's unbearable. As they come to realize this themselves, the region falls further and further into darkness. Team Snagem is strong, and only they can stop them.
1. I Meet A Badass Pokemon Trainer!

Chapter 1

It was a normal day for me in Outskirt Sand. The desert air was dry and nudged the dry soil across the landscape harmlessly. The sky was pale blue from the lack of water and the searing heat. Sandslash and sandshrew were visible digging beneath the surface, scavenging for whatever food they could come across. Marcactus stood completely still in hopes that a prey pokemon would draw near. Weary travelers had a hard time which one of the cacti were pokemon and which weren't, so the path to the worn out gas station was long and swerved.

I took a sip of my drink. There just never seemed to be enough sitrus juice in weather like this. The worst part about it was that I didn't have a cent more to get another. The sweat on my forehead was beginning to dribble, so I used my napkin to wipe it off.

"'Ey, Rui!" The door to the depleted gas station opened. The welcoming jingle of the bell that had been stung above it sounded. I turned around. My old friend, a rider at heart, sat down next to me at the bar. He smiled and a few grains of sand fell from his hair into my empty cup. "How ya been? Haven't heard from ya in a while!"

Willie has always been a weird one. He claims he's going to be the champion of some foreign region one day, but all he has are two zigzagoons. He hasn't really spent the time training them, either. He's so obsessed with riding his nifty, futuristic hover bike to really put any time into them. He didn't have the looked of the champion either. The pink hair, old leather jacket, and goofy attitude made him seem like the type kids bullied in elementary school. I'd only seen him a few times this summer, so seeing him was a bit of a surprise.

"I'm good," I replied. "Looks like you've been rolling around in the sand for a while. Training, maybe?" He smiled wider. Jeez, even his teeth had sand in them.

"Nope. But I got some cool news to share!" He opened his mouth with the intent to speak, but the bartender's old TV switched on and a picture of that fancy news girl came on.

"Breaking update here at Orre Region News!" She straightened the stack of papers on her desk while the cameraman fumbled to bring up a picture of same smoky ruins over her right shoulder. The ruins looked to have been some sort of big building that had been hidden in a carved out section of rock. Firefighters were fighting to snuff out the last of the hot embers. "Team Snagem's hideout has been found, but it's too late. The hideout has been destroyed and abandoned, leaving nothing but an empty shell of what used to be one of the legendary treasures of the Orre Region. There is no telling why it has been left as such, but be on the lookout, for now Team Snagem is on the loose."

Her picture faded and a screen displaying the weather popped up once more.

"Aw," Willie said. "I wanted to say that first." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You saw Team Snagem's hideout?" I said skeptically.

Team Snagem is a group of thugs that are known for stealing pokemon. They usually do it for money, but the majority of the time it's just so they can have new pokemon of their own. Sometimes they rob banks and whatnot, but the police have been looking for them even harder lately when they found out that they've been experimenting on pokemon. In their hideout (the one that was supposed to be impossible to find), they were said to be testing some sort of chemical on them that makes them evil. I don't know what makes the pokemon evil, though. Some kid on the news was talking about it. Not many people seemed to buy it, so why should I care?

"No…" Willie admitted, "but I did hear a big boom and saw the smoke."

The jingle of the welcome bell sounded again. Willie and I looked towards the doorway as a man stepped inside. The taller man was covered in sand and dust, so much so that when he removed his goggles, he shed a whole layer of it right onto the floor. The bartender saw, but instead of telling him to go outside, he let it slide when the man glared at him.

Boy, did that guy have a glare. I've never seen someone with such piercing golden eyes before. And what was with that outfit? Some sort of blue robe that was cut to reveal the legs and flare out to the sides? Black jeans underneath? That guy must've been sweating hot under there, yet he didn't seem to be showing it. Yet one of the most identifying features of this guy was the weird contraption he wore on his left arm that domed over his hand and pulsed dark red. He looked like a legitimate badass, if you ask me.

I thought this guy was nothing but tough until I saw an umbreon and an espeon hop up onto each shoulder, nudging his face with their foreheads. The man pet both of them softly, a kind smile on his face. Maybe he wasn't as mean and tough as he looked. Anyone who treats his pokemon that kindly can't be a bad guy, right?

"Can I help you?" The bartender asked. I guess now that he had seen the guy was a big softie, he didn't mind at least offering some service. The man's face turned to stone again. He stepped up to the bar and sat down beside Willie. He said something in a low voice that I couldn't hear. The bartender heard and started making a sugary drink.

"You look like the type of guy who likes to battle," Willie said. What an idiot. The rider hadn't won a single battle in his life. He could barely take on weaker wild pokemon without nearly getting beat up himself. "How about we get to it?"

The man glanced over at him. He must've been out in the sun for a while because where his goggles had covered was stark white in comparison to the skin under his nose. I didn't know why he felt it was cool to draw a white line between the two areas, but whatever. It wasn't my business.

"My pokemon are tired," the man replied, "so no." His voice was a lot softer than I'd thought. I expected some sort of scratchy, deep, and maniacal voice. His was nothing of the sort.

"Shoot." Willie rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, are ya from around here? I haven't seen ya before."

"In a way, yes."

Someone started tapping on the window. The three of us turned around.

My heart caught in my throat. It was just a pokemon, I know, but this makuhita was different. It had a crazed expression on its face. His eyes were slightly open, as if it were peeking at us. The scariest part about it though was the dark purple haze surrounding it like fire. The haze didn't seem to be hurting it but instead helping it, for when he smiled, the blaze burned brighter. It looked like the pokemon was possessed by a gengar but I knew more than anyone else that pokemon did not look like that, possessed or not.

"Huh," Willie said. "You don't see a lot of those around here. Looks like it wants inside." He hopped off his stool and started towards the door. I grabbed him by the collar. The poor rider made a weird gurgling sound as I yanked him back to me.

"Are you stupid?" I hissed. "Look at that thing! It's downright crazy!"  
The stranger snapped his head in our direction.

"Rui, calm down." Willie gently freed himself. "It's just a fighting type. I thought you were afraid of bug types."

"No, it's not that!" I pointed to the makuhita as it started glaring. The pokemon knew we were talking about him. "Do you not see it? Look! Something's wrong with it!"

"Pfft," Willie teased. "You're hallucinating. I'll get you some more sitrus juice when I'm done with this guy." He opened the door and peaked outside. "Hey there, little guy. What are you doing-"

The fighting type pokemon howled a fierce battle cry before lifting its heavy body off the ground and punching Willie right in the face. The surprised rider flew backwards and into the glass door which shattered upon impact. He fell into a pile of broken shards, unconscious. The bartender didn't hesitate; he ran into the back room and locked himself inside. I dropped off the stool and tried backing away.

I stopped when I felt myself back right into the strange trainer. He was taller and stronger than I thought. Backing into him was like backing into a stone statue. His golden eyes were set on the fighting type pokemon as the creature tried to step around the shrapnel to reach us.

"You said that pokemon has a black aura," he whispered close to my ear. I shivered. Ok, now this guy sounded like he was serious. It was frightening how much his voice could change. "Are you sure it's black? Or dark purple?"

There was nowhere I could go, so I answered. "Y-yeah." He paused to gather his thoughts. After a short while, he put a hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me backwards. I stepped backwards just as he stepped forwards in front of me. It might've just been me, but I got the feeling he was trying to protect me.

The makuhita was now in the gas station. The black aura around him was even darker now that he was closer. His eyes were almost fully opened now. It was creepy to be stared at a pokemon that had blood red eyes when usually it looked to so calm and focused. It smiled at the two of us, baring sharp fangs. The red rings on his cheeks were dark black and veined out in every direction like an infection. When it stepped up to the strange trainer, his pokemon leaped forward. Sharp eeveelution fangs dug into the sides of the evil pokemon's face.

Dark type moves aren't meant to do much to fighting types, but his pokemon were so strong that the pokemon fainted before it even knew what happened. It flopped onto the floor like a sack of jelly. I doubted it could even breathe through all that cheek fat on his face, but it refused to move.

I was about to congratulate the pokemon trainer, but I stopped. The device on his left arm was pulsing neon green and making a noise that sounded like an old gameboy booting up. He held his hand in front of his face, flexing his fingers. The device was strapped on to each one in a web of wires and cords. When he was sure it was on tightly, he pulled out a pokeball with his other hand and placed it back with the device.

The pokeball glowed for a brief instant. At one moment it was a normal red, white, and black ball, the next it was neon green and glowing like a lava lamp. There wasn't much time to get a good look at it before the trainer threw it and captured the makuhita without a single quiver. The ball pulsed visibly on the floor.

I froze, startled. What just happened? What happened to that pokeball? What did that device do? When the stranger leaned down to pick up the ball, I tried to get a better look. He was quick to store it in his weird robe.

"Hey," I snapped. "Let me see!" He narrowed his golden eyes at me. I froze. Holy Arceus, he was scary.

"It's better if you keep out of this." Espeon and Umbreon jumped up on his shoulders. Once the ball was secure in a hidden pocket in his robe, he turned his back on me and started out the door. His boots were so tall and thick that he didn't need to worry about trampling on the bigger pieces of glass.

"H-hey! Wait!" I stepped over the smaller piles of glass, but he was already ahead of me. "C'mon, wait for me-Eee!" Just as I jumped over a larger pile of shrapnel, I slipped. My legs gave out beneath me and started to fall backwards.

My eyes were closed and my body had stopped, but I didn't feel any glass digging into my back. I opened one eye. The strange trainer was holding my hand, stepping on my feet, and holding me up as I leaned backwards dangerously close over the pile of glass. He had an annoyed look on his face, but his pokemon were smiling. He pulled me till I was upright then backed away.

"What do you want?" he asked. It wasn't angry, he was genuinely curious what I wanted.

"What was with that pokemon? And that thing on your arm? And with that pokeball? What did you do?" He held up a hand, a signal to stop. My words came to a stop.

"It's better you stay out of it," he said. "All of it. It doesn't involve you."

"What?" I stamped my foot. "Listen here! That pokemon had a black haze around it and it attacked my friend!" Willie moaned. "Well, sort of friend." The stranger raised an eyebrow. I wish I could do that. "Forget it. I just need an explanation. What just happened?" His eyes were suddenly clouded in thought.

"You did see it, then."

"Duh. It was hard to miss." He paused.

"Normal people can't see the Haze." There was a pause.

"Um. What?" The espeon on his shoulder whipped her tail. The umbreon blinked once. "The Haze? Like… is that some sort of magic?"

"No, it's a side effect." He took my hand again and started leading me out into the desert. I was tempted to pull away, but I was getting an explanation. "That was what we call a Shadow Pokemon. They're creatures that have been altered so they can take large amounts of damage without fainting. Even when they're on the verge of fainting, these monsters will keep fighting like they're at full health. They don't mind hurting humans either."

"Altered pokemon?" I asked. "Who altered them?"

"Team Snagem." He said it like it wasn't even a problem. "They've been altering them for a while now. I'm surprised this is the first one you've seen."

"So there's a bunch of those pokemon running loose?"

"Yes. The vast majority are in Team Snagem's pockets, but a few got loose in the testing."

"You're saying this like it's nothing." He released my hand and looked back to me. Oh, Arceus, his eyes were still just as scary as before. I wasn't sure if he was going to lash out at me for saying that.

"It's not nothing," he corrected. "It's a horrible, evil, and cruel thing to do." He turned back to the road, motioning me to follow. I stepped up to his side. Ahead of us, a particularly large and expensive hover car was sitting under a rocky outcropping. Umbreon and Espeon hopped off their trainer and took a seat in a small sidecar that had been designed for pokemon. "The Haze is a side effect on each and every Shadow Pokemon. The bigger the Haze, the stronger the pokemon. You're the second person I've met who can see it."

"Well, what does that make me?"

"Gifted." He hopped up onto his hover car, where he slipped his goggles on over his eyes. "Keep an eye out for those. If you see one, run."

"Wait, you're just leaving me here?" I couldn't see his eyes under the mask, but I had a feeling he was still staring at me.

"I thought you had that 'sort of' friend back there." Oh, right. I probably should have checked to see if he was ok.

"Whatever, he's fine. Where are you going?"

"Phenac City. There's probably going to be some of Team Snagem there. I can start looking for how to cure this guy." He held up the pale green ball. "Hopefully it's not irreversible."

"Then I'll come with you." He paused, then slowly lifted up his goggles. Instead of harsh and scary, his eyes looked surprised. "I'm serious."

"I know that. I don't think you know what you're getting into."

"What? Think I'm not tough enough?" He took a moment to think.

"I don't believe you're a pokemon trainer." I stuck out my lower lip at him. He chuckled. "Not to be rude, but we're dealing with hostile pokemon here. There'll be stronger ones out there, and I don't think using fists will be a good way of defense."

"Well then, I'll buy a weapon," I solved. The trainer chuckled again.

"What's your name?" His voice was soft. I blinked in surprise. Wow. He looked kinda cute when he wasn't being all serious.

"Rui." He flashed a bright smile.

"Well, if you want to get a weapon, Phenac city might have a few shops to look at." He held out his hand. "I can give you a ride there." He helped me up onto the bike, where I climbed up and sat behind him.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Wes," he said, revving the engine. "Hold on, it's a bumpy ride." Before I could ask what to hold onto, the bike shot forward. My arms automatically wrapped around his waist. I hid my face behind his back; the sand was blinding. I heard him and his pokemon laughing.

I hope I didn't make a mistake by trusting him.

Willie Fainted!

Wes And Rui Teamed Up!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	2. Wes' Golden Eyes Are Too Hypnotic!

Chapter 2

Wes' bike was loud. And I mean loud. I had my free hand over my ear the entire trip. The rumbling, clanking, and roaring beast that was the engine followed us across the sandy desert. The thing had been placed right on top, too. There was no covering to it like a hood. To make it worse, giant pipes spewing black smoke were sticking out at odd angles from it. If I hadn't been hiding behind Wes' back, chances were that my lungs would've been cemented.

The trainer and his pokemon didn't seem to mind the noise. Espeon and Umbreon were leaning into the wind to feel the rush of the wind over their fur. Wes, smiling wide, leaned forward over the engine to grab the handles and steer the beast. He was enjoying the ride just as much as his pokemon. He seemed a lot more calm back at the Outskirt Sand.

I was relieved it was a short ride. The vehicle topped eighty miles an hour and could be heard from miles away, so even if pokemon didn't move out of the way, Wes harmlessly swept past them. The bike had one wheel but was in little to no need of it. By the time we arrived, it probably only rotated about six times.

The bike came to a stop, but I could still feel the vibration of Wes' monster machine in my bones even after it had died. Umbreon and Espeon purred at the face I made when Wes jumped off. I was beginning to wonder how I was going to get down until Wes held a hand out to me, which I gratefully took. He helped me down before slipping off his goggles again.

"Here we are," he said, glancing to the left. I'd never seen the oasis city. In the middle of the desert, right where a huge lake used to be, was a city of marble and sandstone. There were only a few houses, a pokemon center, and pokemart, but what it lacked in people it made up for in fountains, manmade streams, and a huge stadium that people were beginning to pour out of. As Wes and I stepped through the wide-open gates, a breeze of cold, damp air washed over us. Oh, yeah. That was nice.

Wes' face was back to stone cold. "I'm going to the a friend's home to speak to him personally about the issue. In the meantime, you find a weapon." Without so much as a goodbye, he started off past the fountain and up the stairs to the next level of the town. Well, he didn't waste any time, I'll give him that.

I started into the town. Wow, the stadium must still be pretty full. There was nearly no one nearby except a teenager who was chasing his castform around the fountain. They looked pretty happy, running around in circles like that. Maybe if I'd chosen a pokemon like castform, I would've gotten along with it.

Yeah, I'm not a pokemon trainer. When I was younger, my mom gave me a dratini to raise until I was old enough to train. Man, me and that dratini went way back. We used to play every day, go to school together, travel together, even talk to each other. What was I, five when I first had her? That was a long time ago. Now I'm eighteen and still haven't picked up another pokeball. Probably won't ever, either. Not after that heartbreak.

"Hey, give him back!" The teen that had once been chasing his castform was now jumping up and down to try and retrieve his pokemon. The weather pokemon was being held painfully by a guy with blue sunglasses and dark brown hair. He even had it stick up and out like one, too. He smiled wickedly down at the boy as he desperately tried to free his castform.

"Gimme gimme never gets," he taunted, moving the tiny pokemon out of his reach every time the trainer jumped. "Get lost, this thing's mine now. Go home. Cry to your parents."

"Hey," I said, grabbing his attention. The shady character looked to me. It was faint, but I could see him blinking in surprise from behind his goggles. "Give the castform back. It's not yours."

"'Scuse me," he said quickly, "but I believe that this is a private conversation. Go try on some more cosplay, you Misty wannabe."

Ok, I did look like Misty. I had the orange hair and the lean figure, but I made sure to keep my orange locks up in two shorter ponytails, not one long one. And my outfit was nothing like hers. I had a much better purple belly shirt and a cool jacket that was thin enough to keep me warm when it's cold, and cool when it's hot. My skirt was a little bland in comparison to the rest of the outfit, but whatever. I was nothing like Kanto's Misty.

I reached up and took the castform from his hands. He was mean, but he wasn't too tall for me. When I had castform, I stuck my tongue out at him and handed the pokemon back to its' rightful owner. The shady guy was furious.

"Didn't your mother tell you to pick your own fights?!" He pulled out a pokeball. The kid and his tiny pokemon stepped back. Great, these two weren't battlers. No need to worry, I had plenty of experience in disarming people who wanted to battle me.

He threw out his pokeball, almost hitting me in the forehead with it. When it hit the ground, the ball nearly split in half releasing a bayleef. Piercing red eyes nearly sliced through me as the male pokemon squared up to me. Oh shit. This was a Shadow pokemon.

I stepped back and held out my arm for the teen to do the same. Something crossed on the thugs face when he saw my sudden fear. He knew his pokemon was a Shadow. And now he knew that I could see it.

"Ohh," he purred. "You're one of those people." There was no doubt about it, this guy was part of Team Snagem. How was I supposed to battle this thing if it's as mindless and killing as Wes said they were? Better yet, how were we going to help it if it was in the hands of a trainer? "You want an upclose look? Bayleef loves playing with people who get to know her right away."

The grass type lashed out at me with razor leaves. I ducked, but the Shadow pokemon aimed a second time and sliced a small cut in my cheek. The teenager had fled the scene, but it was better that way. Better a grown woman like me got hurt instead of a kid. I rolled to the side. Bayleef roared and whipped at me with her vines. Luckily I was able to fall backwards into the fountain to avoid it before she either sliced my head off or beat me to a pulp.

There was a small chance this pokemon was going to kill me. That was terrifying.

Really terrifying.

I considered staying underwater until someone noticed I was being attacked, but the sun suddenly went out and I was yanked from the water like a fish in a net. Someone had put me in a potato sack. Not someone, some ones. There were two people carrying both end of the sack now as I tried to kick and squirm my way out, but the two kidnappers were stronger than me and kept me just where they pleased.

"She saw the Shadow, right?" I heard a voice near my feet whisper.

"Yeah," the voice near my head replied. "You could tell right away. She'll be useful."

"Excuse me," I heard a third voice interrupt. My body met hard concrete as the two idiots who had caught me carelessly let my bag drop to the floor.

"Ow!" I shouted. "Watch it, will ya?! I'm not a bag of crap!" I wasn't sure what happened, but now the two boys were frantic.

"Folly, you forgot to gag her!" said the first.

"I didn't have time! I barely just got her in the bag!" responded the second. They paused. I could nearly hear the bewilderment in the air. What was going on?

"Is… is that you, Wes?" the two boys said in unison.

"Release her. Now." Yep, that was Wes alright. I was surprised that he had come just in time, but I was even more surprised that my two kidnappers were doing as he said. They untied to bag and helped me out of it. I was still dripping wet, so the sudden chilled breeze made me shiver.

Wes was standing in front of me. His eyes were narrowed, not in my direction, but at the two goons. One of them was the idiot that had taken the castform. The other was a lanky loser in black clothes and matching goggles. They were both awestruck at the sight of my partner.

"Over here." Without looking away from the two nappers, Wes pointed to his side. I felt like a punished child as I walked up to his side, but that didn't seem to be the case. His expression was tight with hidden rage. "I'm going to need your bayleef and your croconaw."

"What?" the shady guy named Folly asked. "C'mon, Wes, we're in public. Can't you, me, and Trudly do this-"

"I'm not joking. Give me them. Now." Folly and the other goon exchanged glances.

"Well, you see, there's really no need to listen to you anymore." The thug named Trudly seemed a little uneasy about saying it. "After… well, you know, I don't think they're going to really let you in charge anymore." Wait, what? What was he talking about? How did he know Wes?

"Good. Give me the pokemon." Wes was getting impatient. Espeon and Umbreon began to growl.

"Ohh, I get it." Folly nudged his friend with an elbow. "Wes here got the girl so he can find all the Shadow pokemon and bring them to boss."

"Oh! That makes sense," Trudly responded. "It doesn't really explain why he wants our pokemon, though."

"Or why he blew up the base."

Trudly hit Folly upside the head with his gloved hand. "You idiot! Don't say that out loud!"

"You know it's true!"

"It doesn't matter! We're in public, we can't go around letting people know that we're in Team Snagem!" Folly looked around frantically. Luckily, no one was nearby to hear.

"Wait, Team Snagem?" I snapped at Wes. He paused to watch the two goons fight, then looked to me.

"Yes. I was once a part of Team Snagem." He looked away. "I blew up their base earlier today."

"Why'd you do it, man?" Trudly asked. "Now a bunch of Shadow pokemon are roamin' around. And the boss is angry, he's going to kill you."

"I don't care." Wes held out his hand. "Bayleef. Croconaw. Now." The two of them glared and pulled out their pokeballs.

"I don't believe we owe you anything," Folly snapped. "If you want our pokemon, you'll have to battle us first!" They threw out the bayleef from before and a croconaw with just as malicious a Haze. They looked angry. And when they saw Wes, they licked their lips. Were they really thinking on eating them?

Wes brought his left hand to his waist, where he pulled two pokeballs from his belt. I saw him do it, but I doubt the others did. Their pokemon charged at him, fangs glistening. For a brief second, Wes looked fully ready to be eaten alive by the ravenous beasts. But at the last second, he turned his hands and threw the glowing balls at the two pokemon.

These pokemon were full health. They were monsters. They were owned by trainers. But when each of the balls hit, both pokemon were enveloped and trapped inside. There was not a single attempt at breaking free once the pokemon had been snagged.

"Dammit!" Trudly shouted. "He has the Snag Sleeve! Do you have anymore pokemon?" Folly pat himself down in an attempt to find one.

"N-no, I'm out!"

"Then run!" Trudly grabbed him by the collar and jerked him towards the entrance of the city. "Go, go, go! Wes has four pokemon now! Hurry up!" They stumbled out into the sand hastily.

"Shouldn't we get our bikes?"

"Screw the bikes! Just run you idiot!"

They were still arguing by the time they had been masked by the dusty wind. Wes looked out to them, as if he were keeping track of which way they ran so he could chase them later. When he had his fill, he bent down and picked up the glowing balls and clipped them to his belt. Then, as if I wasn't there, he turned and started back into the city.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a fricken moment, will ya?" I grabbed the sleeve on his right arm. He stopped mid-step. Then, placing his foot back down, he sighed.

"I told you, I don't want to get random people involved."

"Apparently, I'm not a random person." He brushed my hand off him and turned to me. His spiky silver hair blew gently in the breeze. He looked so heroic like that. How could he manage to look so cool all the time? "You heard them. You need someone to help you find out which pokemon are Shadow and which aren't."

"That is true."

"What-"

"But I'm not giving them to boss," he interrupted. "Believe me or not, I'm finding a way to reverse them."

"But you were part of Team Snagem!"

"'Were' being the key word." I blinked at him.

"How can I trust you?" I snapped.

"You don't have to. Go home." He started off again. I followed him up the steps to the higher level of town. He didn't acknowledge I was there. In fact, he was acting as if I was already left.

"Wait, don't you need me?"

"For what."

"For finding the Shadow pokemon!"

"Not entirely," he said, bored. "I know all of Team Snagem. I know who has Shadow pokemon and which ones they are. I can get the majority on my own. The wild ones will probably appear ransacking a city or attacking children. They're not entirely impossible to track down." I stuck out my lower lip, but he didn't see it. He started up to the third level of the town that was nothing but a giant pokemon stadium. Now I wasn't sure where he was exactly planning to go.

"But, you told me to come with you."

"I didn't tell you. You asked, and I accepted."

"Stop walking!" I barked, speed walking my way past him until I could block his path. He stopped and looked down at me. His expression was just as hard as usual. "Look, if you didn't need me to track down those stupid pokemon then why did you accept me on your team?"

He was silent. For a while all he did was look at me. I was pretty sure he was just going to stand there until it got too uncomfortable for me and I left, but his gaze was strong. His golden stare was weird. Like, enticing. No, it was hypnotic. I found myself staring right back at him.

For a while, that's all we did. Just stand in the middle of an empty stadium and stare at each other. I'm not really sure why we did it, nor was I certain of how long. But for some weird reason, it felt good.

It felt right.

He blinked suddenly. He must've just come to. I suddenly felt the awkwardness of the situation and looked away to stick out my lower lip.

"Well, I still don't know why you wanted me to follow you around when I'm just-"

"Company." The word was forced. I glanced back at him. His gaze hadn't moved. "I guess you could say I wouldn't have minded some company." I crossed my arms.

"Company," I said doubtfully.

"Yes."

"And you're not longer part of Team Snagem."

"Correct."

"You blew up their base."

"Obviously."

Oh my god. This guy wasn't joking. He was serious about the whole thing. Couldn't he get arrested for being a part of a dastardly team like that? Why was he telling a random stranger about it? Well, I guess his coworkers had spilled the beans on him. He had to fess up or else I'd known he was lying. While I was mulling it over, I saw the contraption on his arm pulse green. At the same time, the three pale green pokeballs on his belt glow in unison with it.

"What is that thing you're wearing?" I questioned. He held his arm out to me and opened his hand to my face.

"It's called a Snag Sleeve. It's primary use is keeping Shadow pokemon in check," he explained.

"It can steal trainers pokemon, then?"

"Only Shadow ones."

"Why?" I continued.

"Shadow pokemon don't last long in normal pokeballs. The connection between them and their trainers are weak, too, so they are almost too easy to catch." I paused.

"Can… can you battle with them?" He nodded. "So you can send out that bayleef right now and battle me with it."

"I wouldn't have much control over him because he's a Shadow and tired but, in shorter terms, yes." He pat the eeveelutions on his shoulders. "I prefer these two."

"So, you stole that thing and blew up the base."

"Mmhm," he agreed.

"Why?" He took a moment to think.

"Because I wanted to." Ok, so he wasn't too keen on sharing everything with me yet. That's alright, I guess. He'd already shared a ton already.

"Alright," I sighed. "Then I'll tag along with you." That same surprised expression he had when I asked to join him back at Outskirt Sand returned. "But I get to know everything and anything I want about this whole quest you have going. I get just as much say in anything we do than you do." His face cleared.

"I suppose."

"There you are!" The two of us looked towards the door. A fat old man with a top hat far too small for him was standing at the entrance to the stadium. "Wes, is it? My secretary said you were looking for me?"

"Yessir." He started off towards him. "I want to speak to you about Shadow pokemon."

Wes Was Released From Team Snagem!

Rui Is Hypnotized By Wes' Intimidate!

Wild Mayor Appeared!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	3. The Mayor And The Legend Light Pokemon!

Chapter 3

The mayor was the last person I expected Wes to contact. Not because Wes was once part of Team Snagem and the mayor must've hated the bunch of them, but Wes and the mayer opposites when it came to personality. He was cheery and had a skip in his step. Whenever he wasn't talking he was humming a cheery tune. We followed him halfway across town and every time he saw someone, he would tip his hat to them. What a cheery guy. I liked him already.

Wes followed him quietly. I was at his side. What exactly did we have to talk to the mayor about? Shadow pokemon, duh, but is that all? Were we forming a plan to save them or something? Probably.

"Ah, here we are." The mayor lead us up to a house that looked just like the others in Phenac City. He opened the door and allowed us inside, where he lead us deeper inside until we were at the far back of the house. Here, there weren't any windows. Just a bunch of books and a desk that was cleared of any papers or pens. The mayor sat at it, his fat belly jiggling as he adjusted himself. He traced his mustache with one finger. "So you finally did it, did you?"

"Yessir, the base is off the map." He took the three glowing balls off his belt and put them on the desk. "These snag balls are the only ones I've needed so far. The Snag Sleeve works perfectly."

"Good, good." He adjusted his round wire glasses at me. "And who is this young lady?"

"My partner." Partner? Used in what context? "She can see the Haze. And she willingly joined me."

"Without knowing the plan?"

"Yes."

"Hmm," the mayor mused, stroking his patchy white beard. "What's your name?"

"Rui," I said quietly.

"Rui, why have you joined young Wes in this?"

"In what?" I asked. "Are there things I don't know?"

"Very many," Wes answered. Then, to the mayor, "She's not a trainer."

"Ahh," he replied, adjusting in his seat. "A rare sight here in Orre." He tapped his fingers on the desk in thought. Wes and I waited quietly for him to finish the conversation, but he was taking his time gathering his thoughts. I found myself looking around the room at all the books. God, this guy had quite the collection. That's what he probably was, a collector, because none of these books looked to have been read. A few were still in the factory plastic sealing.

A glimmer caught the corner of my eye. I moved my head slightly to the right. There it was again, almost like a blinking light. But it wasn't a light. It was a book in the far right corner of the room. It was the only book in the whole room that had been read, judging by the worn spine. I squinted at it, but I couldn't make out what was making it gleam from where I stood.

"Oh ho," the mayor suddenly said. I looked to him. He had been watching me the whole time. So had Wes. I blushed.

"O-oh, sorry. I didn't mean to-" The mayor raised his hand.

"There is no need to be sorry, my dear. It was simply a test."

The room was silent.

"What."

"We were testing to see if you were lying about seeing the Haze," Wes explained. He walked over to the worn book and pulled it out halfway. It wasn't the book that was glowing, but what was inside it. The pokemon trainer opened the dusty novel and retrieved the bright item that stopped pulsing when it touched his fingers.

It was just a feather. A pretty cool one, though. In the right light, it shone every color of the rainbow. Wait, was that…?

"It's a Ho-oh feather," the mayor explained. "And it's just what we needed you to find." He leaned back and propped his feet up on the desk. The wooden chair he sat in squealed in protest. "Shadow pokemon are diseased by the Haze you've seen. The makuhita you have here," he continued, poking one of the balls with a pencil, "is only level ten. The bayleef you see here," he moved the pencil thusly, "is level twenty. To make Shadow pokemon as mean and tough as they are, they need to be given as much Shadow as their level can handle. The higher the level, the more the disease needs to spread, the more powerful the Shadow pokemon. You understand?"

"Y-yeah," I answered.

"This feather is similar," Wes said, startling me. I hadn't seen him approach me. "But this Haze is different. It's white. That means it's the pure side of the spectrum, from a Light pokemon." He held it out to me. I took it from him gently. It was warm to the touch. "That's Ho-oh's feather."

"The rainbow pokemon?" I whispered in awe.

"Yes, my dear." The mayor sat in his chair properly once again. "There are many Shadow pokemon, but there is only one Light pokemon. We're going to need your help retrieving his feathers."

"Um, why?" I asked.

"It's the only possible cure for Shadow pokemon." Wes took the feather back and stored it in the book before sliding it in the shelf. "We've already tried it on an igglybuff and the results were flawless. She's in the hands of a capable trainer somewhere in Orre." He stepped up to me. It was uncomfortably close; he was nearly standing on my toes. I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. "The mayor and I have been working together for a few years now. I was accepted into Team Snagem to spy on their research with Shadow pokemon as well as steal the Snag Sleeve. When my cover was about to be revealed by a slip up, I blew up the base. You know the rest."

"So you weren't really part of Team Snagem."

"I was there only to relay information." He leaned down to my height. "But now that you know that, you have to stick with me." I opened my mouth to ask what would happen if I didn't, but he turned back to the mayor. That was a bit unsettling. "What do you think, sir?"

"She's just what we needed." He stood up from the desk and over to me. "Rui, now that you're on the force, would you like a pokemon of your own? I have a great many to choose from."

"No thank you." The mayor blinked. "I'm fine with a weapon instead of a pokemon." Wes was silent.

"Oh?" the mayor asked. "I suppose a weapon would be satisfactory."

"I have one." Wes held his arm straight out. In it was an oddly shaped piece of metal. It had the slight resemblance of a sword, but no hilt, only a short section that had been filed down for someone to hold it without being cut up. At the bottom of it, the initials WAL had been engraved in curvy, girly letters. Where'd he get that?

"Oh ho," the mayor said. "It's been awhile since I've seen a skarmory feather in action." Skarmory feather. So that's what that was. I didn't know people used that as a weapon. Wes handed it to me. I had to be careful with the exchange or risk cutting myself on the parts that hadn't been smoothed out.

"Where am I supposed to keep this?" I asked him. He blinked at me.

"I heave a sheath back on the bike."

"So if I get attacked, I have permission to cut them up?"

"Only if you're in danger. I prefer you not kill anyone without good reason." Kill? Me?

"Then it's settled," the mayor said. "Welcome to the team, Rui. Now, if you want to catch more Shadow pokemon, you'll need some pokeballs. I'm sure they're selling them back at Outskirt Sand."

"Yessir." Wes turned away and started out the door. How rude. Does he do that all the time, regardless of who he talks to?

"Thanks, Mayor," I said quickly, nodding my head in his direction before chasing after Wes. I caught the jolly old fool tipping his hat before the doors to his house opened and we were out in the open. I found myself blinded by the light of day the instant they opened.

"Wes, wait for me-Eeee!" I thought my path was clear, but obviously, it wasn't. As soon as my feet stepped out into the city, I found myself running right into another person. I fell back on the cement, scraping my butt. "God, Wes why did you have to-"

Oh God. I hadn't run into Wes. It was someone different entirely. And though it seemed impossible, this guy was scarier than the trainer I had partnered with. He was on a whole new level of scary. He was a foot taller than Wes. His purple shirt was so tight that it was beginning to tear at the seams. For some reason, he was wearing an odd, skirt-like bottom that flared out like claws. The weirdest part about him was his white hair that he had somehow managed to get to stick up at odd angles. Piercing brown eyes bore into me.

"Excuse you," he said in a deep voice. Wes, who had turned to look at what had happened, approached me. When he held out his hand to offer me aid to my feet, the man spoke again. "I guess you're a traveling trainer." Now that I was righted, Wes turned to him. The pokemon trainer was silent but his eyes were menacing. Shivers went down my spine at the sight. "Hm. I like what I see in your expression. You seem tough. I might see you again somewhere."

The muscular man glanced at me before rudely turning his back on us and exiting the city out the west entrance. The two of us watched him go for a ways. When he was out of earshot, my partner looked to me with narrowed eyes.

"I have known you for a few hours and you've gotten in trouble three times," he stated. I smiled nervously. It was hard to tell if he was scolding me or if he was just amazed.

"Uh… sorry." He snorted.

"I don't see how any of these have really been your fault except that one. Stick close to me from now on." I expected him to turn away and start off, but he actually waited for my response. I was surprised, so I had to fumble for a reply.

"Oh, sure. I can do that." To show my seriousness, I pulled up beside him a bit closer. He chuckled. When he started moving, I was sure to keep close. It'd be a good idea to try and time when he was going to walk away all unexpected-like. It'd keep the both of us out of trouble. Me, mainly.

"The mayor said Phenac doesn't sell pokeballs," Wes stated. "We're going back to Outskirt Sand to pick up a good few."

"Right." I adjusted the skarmory feather in my hand as we walked. Wow, this thing was pretty cool. Extremely lightweight, super sharp, and easy to hold with one or two hands. It'd take some practice, but sooner or later it'd be easy to protect myself. I just hoped I didn't end up slicing someone open on accident.

After I swung the blade a few times to test it out, we were back at the bike. Umbreon and Espeon hopped into their little sidecar and started rearranging themselves until they were comfortable. I'd only seen them battle once, but they had downed a makuhita in one hit each. They had to be somewhat powerful.

I had only just finished staring when I felt Wes' hands grab my waist and lift me up onto the bike. He hopped on after and took the place at the handles. There was no way I was going to say it out loud, but that gesture had taken me by surprise. It was probably the easiest way to go, but still. Unexpected. Really unexpected.

Was… was I blushing?

A while after we had taken off from Phenac City, we were back at Outskirt Sand. A short while ago, it had been empty and the door had been shattered. By the time we returned, the door had been wrapped up with plastic to later repair and the glass had been swept away. It looked like the people were back, too. I could hear them talking and drinking inside. It was like nothing had happened.

Except Willie, who was sitting against the outside wall, sipping away at some lemonade. He saw me approach in Wes' giant of a bike and spat up whatever fluid he had in his mouth. He was still coughing when the bike powered off and we had unboarded. I hoped to just pass him and walk right inside, but he approached us, wiping lemonade off his face and wiping it on his clothes. Already, Wes looked impatient with him.

"Rui!" Willie exclaimed in a wet voice. "You hitched a ride with scary guy here?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Willie, this is Wes. Wes, Willie." The rider waited for my partner to speak, but all Wes did was nod his head slightly. He hadn't taken off his goggles yet, so there was no telling what expression he was hiding in his eyes. I tried to glare him into taking them off, but whether or not he saw, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Ah, Wes then." Willie adjusted his jacket. "You must be a pokemon trainer as well. I'm a pretty good one, myself. You'll have to battle me sometime." Silence. Noticing the awkwardness of the situation, he switched subjects. "Uh, Rui, where'd you go back there? I woke up and you were gone."

"Phenac City," I replied. "We went to sight see."

"Well, good thing you're back. A bunch of shady characters just left. One of them had a crazy afro." Wes lifted his glasses slightly, barely peeking under them. "They only came to eat, though. So that's good. They weren't too nice when I offered to battle them."

"No one's very nice when you offer to battle them," I said softly.

"Well, that may be true but these guys were extra mean."

"How mean is extra mean?"

"They threw a sandwich at me," he whined.

"Like, a full sandwich?"

"No, just the lettuce they didn't want."

"That's not a sandwich," I protested.

"Sorta like one. Hey, where'd your boyfriend go?" It was just an automatic response. My fist met his face, his face met the dirt. There was no stopping it. When he was on the ground, Willie stopped to process what had just happened. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled himself up from the sand. After thoroughly wiping the sand out of his eyes, his nose, and mouth, he pulled himself to his feet. His eyebrows raised at me. "So. You have a crush."

"No I don't!" I looked around frantically. It was true, Wes had disappeared. He had to be nearby, though. His bike was still right where he had parked it. "Listen, it's not like that! We're just traveling together!"

"How long have you known that guy?" he asked. "You haven't even been gone a day. What made you like him? Love at first sight? Or did he save you from the makuhita and you got a hit of the love potion off that?" He leaned in close. "Did he brush your hand or something?" I blushed, hard.

"Stop it, Willie! I told you, it's nothing."

"So it was the brushing of the hand," he purred, wiggling his eyebrows. I grunted.

"No," I whispered. "He lifted me onto his bike. And… he has cute eyes." It was good to know that Wes wasn't anywhere nearby, because Willie laughed rather loudly. "I'm not going to tell you this stuff if you laugh about it."

"It's not that," he said. "Did you not see that guy, Rui? He's not the loving type. And if he is, I'd say he's into the hardcore, tattooed, biker chick." He jabbed a thumb at the bike. "I doubt he bought that just for himself."

"You don't know that!"

"So you're saying you're going to try?" he teased. I stuck out my lower lip.

"No, I… I mean it won't… He's… Ugh, I don't know!" Willie was about to laugh again, but he caught sight of Wes just as he was leaving the Outskirt Sand. He approached us and stopped right when he noticed Willie was trying to look serious. Goggles now off, he narrowed his eyes at the two of us.

"Should I have left you two to yourselves?" he asked.

"What?" the two of us piped up. I waved my hands out in front of me.

"No, no, that's not it! Willie and I are barely friends!" I exclaimed. Willie started to nod, then shot me an angry look.

"At least I've had a girlfriend befo-" I punched him in the gut this time. He hunched over in pain, grumbling the last couple words followed by a string of slurs. Wes looked surprised, but he quickly dismissed the awkwardness of the conversation.

"I've bought the pokeballs. We can head back to Phenac now."

"Head back? Why?"

"Business." His expression told me to keep quiet.

"Alright." I pat Willie on the back. "I'll talk to you later. We gotta go now." Wes and I started to the bike, which the both of us hurriedly jumped on. Before I had situated myself, I noticed a sheath in the sidecar with Umbreon and Espeon. I reached for it, but Wes grabbed my arm.

"You won't be needing that yet," he assured. Then he started up the engine and spun around quickly, nearly throwing me right off if I hadn't grabbed onto him right away. The wheel spun, caught the ground and we were off.

Behind us, Willie was still hunched over. We were already gone, but he still waved faintly. "Good luck… on that romance."

Rui Learned About Ho-Oh!

Rui Is Infatuated!

Wes And Rui Ran Away!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	4. A Scary Foe And A Fabulous One!

Chapter 4

This time when we traveled to Phenac, Wes really picked up the pace. The sand in the wind was almost painful as it brushed against my skin. I had to lean into Wes further to avoid being skinned entirely. There was a good chance he was being joked or moderately annoyed by my grip, but he showed no sign of it. Umbreon and Espeon didn't seem to notice the speed. They just squinted their eyes a little more and leaned further forward. They had obviously reached this speed before. Now I was wondering how fast this bike could really go.

When the desert started to clear and Phenac city was in view, Wes turned the bike to the side and drifted the remainder of the way to the front gates. There, he jumped off and held out a hand to me, helping me off. Umbreon and Espeon looked to their trainer for directions. All he did was point towards the gates and then they were off at full speed into the city.

"What's going on?" I asked right as I started on his tail. Man, his pokemon were in a hurry, but he was only slightly faster than usual. "Is there something-"

"Thank goodness you're here!" I was rudely interrupted by a lady in a pink dress as she came running out the front gates to us. Her hair was a mess and she was missing her left shoe. "The mayor, the mayor has been kidnapped!"

Wes was now in a hurry. He grabbed my arm and started off into the town with me stumbling clumsily behind him. Now, I was a good runner, but the boots I had on weren't really that kind of style. I had to move around all funky a few times before my legs could run properly, and even then it was hard to keep them on.

We darted up the stairs and to the mayor's house, where the door had been propped open. Sensing the danger, I gripped my weapon tightly at my side. I had no idea how to use it. How was I supposed to take on the kidnappers like this? I'd never even harmed someone before, at least not with a sharp weapon. Please, I prayed, give me the strength to do something useful.

The two of us bolted inside. Right away we were reunited with Umbreon and Espeon. They were both at the entrance to the house, teeth bared and backs arching at a group of thugs who stood inside.

Folly and Trudly were in there. They were up against the back wall, hunched over in their usual slouch, but they weren't alone. On our left, three wannabe power rangers dressed in either blue, red, or green saluted. They were all the same height and weight, but their faces had been hidden behind helmets. Their colorful suits were padded that were obviously to protect them from being injured. That was bad news. Could this feather cut through it?

When we entered, they didn't even turn to see us. They stood as still as soldiers, saluting in perfect formation with each other. The only noticeable flaw in this were their headbands, which had all been tied in a different style of knot behind their heads

It was weird to see heavily-armored thugs. It was even weirder to see who they were saluting. A man so tall and thin that it was like he was nothing but a giant skeleton stood in the center of the room, facing Trudly and Folly. The idiot was wearing a golden jumpsuit with golden star earrings and shoes so big you'd think he was dressing up to be a clown. But he had obviously cared more for the old look, because his hair was done up in an afro just as tall as me.

"There!" Folly said, pointed at me. "That's the girl who can see the Haze!"

"Mm?" The disco freak turned around. His hair bounced like a giant balloon. Wow, this guy even had makeup and a golden mask on. He was really concerned about his style. He saw us and laughed. It sounded like a dry cackle. "Oh, my! What a duo! These two don't look like they can do any harm, how could you have possibly lost to them?" He approached me. His suit was nearly damp with all the cologne he had applied. It didn't even smell nice. It was just overpowering. Had he used the entire bottle? "You're the one Folly is talking about, the girl who can see the Haze, correct?"

I glared at him.

"Oh, no need for that, darling. I didn't need to be assured that you were." He lifted his twig of an arm and flicked his wrist at me. The blue power ranger on the right suddenly darted at me. It was too quick, I couldn't avoid it as he grabbed my neck and thrust me to the ground. My hands instinctively grabbed his, but he started applying pressure to my windpipe. It was painful. The bones in my neck began to bend. Already my arms were going weak. Right when he began to reach for something on his hip, my vision started fading. I had been hit so hard my head was spinning. Now I couldn't breathe.

Panic had just started to kick in, but when I went to catch another breath, sweet air filled my lungs. I opened my eyes without realizing I had closed them in all the confusion. The blue goon was on the floor to my right, unconscious. His helmet had been dented by what looked to be the imprint of a blunt object hard enough to injure him. When I looked closer, it became clear that it had been a foot that had dealt the damage.

I felt warm hands slip under my back and gently lift me to my feet. My legs were numb and bowlegged, so when I was at my feet, there was no supporting myself. The hit had been so hard on me. I must've hit my head on the floor too because my skull throbbed. My savior readjusted me.

"Are you ok?" Wes whispered. He must've been the one who saved me.

"Y-yeah," I replied. The words left my mouth dry. He had saved me. And now he was holding me in protective embrace. I was injured, but I was more influenced by how warm and soft he was.

"Oh, my," the man in the yellow suit breathed. "Quite protective, you are. Well, listen here. That sweet young thing in your arms, she can see things that ordinary people aren't supposed to see. That won't do for what we have planning. That just won't do at all." He held out his hand. "Now, if you will please lend us the girl."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Wes said in a threatening tone. "Why don't you get out of here before I make you?" The tall goon paused.

"What a determined young man. I like that." He looked over his shoulder at Folly and Trudly. "You know what to do. I will not tolerate failure again from you boys." The two misfits saluted him.

"Yes, Master Miror B!" they chanted in unison.

"Good!" Miror B. looked back to us with a smile. "I suppose I should leave you to your fun. I need to attend to a fallen comrade." As he spoke, he picked up the blue man with one arm and slung him over his shoulder. The other two power rangers stepped up to us, but Wes didn't flinch. He predicted that they would just walk past, and they did. As they left, Miror B. followed, waving his fingers mockingly as he went. My partner remained as still as a statue as they passed, but I watched them leave from over his shoulder.

They didn't even look back to try and attack him from behind.

"Alright, let's do this!" Folly grabbed a pokeball from his belt and held it out in preparation to battle. Trudly did the same. "We got ourselves some great pokemon from Miror B, there's no way we're losing to you." Wes snorted.

"You'd be surprised," he said softly. "Umbreon, Espeon, you know what to do."

"Es," Espeon hissed.

"Umbreon!" Umbreon yowled. They took the field as Folly and Trudly let out a lotad and a duskull. The two pokemon looked well trained, but they had no Haze around them. There was no evil gleam or intense hostility in their eyes, just determination. They were normal pokemon. I was beginning to think that all these people had were Shadow pokemon. It was relieving to know that there wasn't enough to give to these idiots.

Espeon darted towards lotad and bit the leaf on his head. Her teeth were sharp and pierced the green flesh just enough to bring tears to Lotad's eyes. He whipped around in a furious circle to dislodge her, but the psychic pokemon held on tight. Bookshelves and papers were upturned as the two of them flew around the room in a panicked frenzy. Duskull had been mildly distracted by the uproar, so Umbreon took the chance and used secret power on him. The pokemon was knocked backwards, slowing to a stop when it came to Trudly's feet. I was about to watch more, but Wes turned around and walked over to the wall, where he slowly lowered me.

"I can fight," I protested, putting my foot down. He ignored me and put me down anyways, moving me so I didn't sit on my foot. When my body was placed against the wall, he met my eyes. Oh, no. He was looking at me just like he had in the stadium. Only this time, his eyes were even softer. Was Wes worried?

"Don't. Move," he ordered. From behind him, Espeon let out a squeak as duskull hit her with faint attack. He returned to the battlefield and started commanding them. He was an excellent trainer. Espeon and Umbreon were just as good of pokemon. He fought with the two boys like they were nothing but children. I doubt that the two eeveelutions were anywhere near half health when he finished off his foes.

"Damn it," Folly cursed. "This guy is tougher than I thought."

"Don't be impressed!" Trudly snapped. "Miror B. is going to eat us alive!"

"What do we do?!"

"Run!"

"Where?"

"Anywhere!" Trudly started off towards the door. Wes willingly let him pass by, smiling faintly.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Folly chased him, stumbling when he had to run near Wes. "Don't leave me here with them! Wait!"

"Are they gone…?" The voice could barely be heard from upstairs.

"Come down," Wes called. "They've been had." I heard some shuffling directly above me. Someone said something that was smothered by the floorboards, then a plump head peeked down from the stairway. The mayor was unharmed yet pale in the face. He had lost his hat in all the commotion. The sight of Wes and I was enough to bring back his rosy red cheeks and jolly expression.

"Good job, my boy. Working out those tough pokemon of yours." He started down the stairs and stopped when he reached Wes. I started getting to my feet while he spoke to him. "It's a good thing you came when you did. Those fools would've found the feather."

"Good thing they didn't," Wes agreed. He glanced at me as I shakily straightened out.

"Is she alright?" the mayor asked quietly.

"They tried killing me," I responded. My hand went to my neck, where a bruise was starting to form. Jeez, that had really hurt. "Wes saved me."

"Oh ho, he did!" He shot the pokemon trainer a sly, 'I know what you're thinking' look. Wes glared. "Well, that's good. He needs to make sure his partner stays by his side." He walked over to the door and peeked outside. "It's turning dark, do you have a place to stay?"

"No sir," Wes replied.

"Then you can stay here." I appreciated that he was offering us a place to stay, but it wouldn't be too easy sleeping after knowing that a bunch of goons had been here with the intent of killing me. And if not killing me, then taking me captive. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but where else could we go? The pokemon center in town wasn't near as luxurious as this house. I guess it'd be ok. "I'm afraid I only have one room, but luckily, there's two beds in it. You can use those." Oh, great. Now I'll be sleeping in the same room as Wes. Don't blush, don't blush!

"Thank you."

"Thanks," I echoed.

"Not a problem. Follow me." We followed him up the stairs and down a short hallway that lead to a single room. There were even more books in here, all uncanningly new and pristine. There was only one wall that wasn't like the others and it was barely visible through the framed pictures of people I guessed were the mayor's friends and family. There was a window peeking through the shelves on one side of the room, overlooking the town from just the right angle. The sun was beginning to set from the outside, giving the fountains of Phenac a sparkling gleam. The rug was soft and clean; it was like it had yet to be used. The only thing in the guest bedroom that had some wear on it was the nightstand, which stood between two twin beds, both flawlessly made. One had a duller floral pattern on the comforter while the other had been stitched with starter pokemon and pokeballs. I was surprised when Wes walked over to it and started unlatching his Snag Sleeve.

"You should be comfortable here," the mayor continued. "I can lock up the door tonight as to avoid any unwanted visitors." Had he not done that last time? "Rui, have you no nighttime clothes with you?"

"No, I don't." Wes glanced over his shoulder almost too sly for me to catch. "I left in a bit of a hurry."

"Oh?" the mayor mused. "Where are you from, young one?"

"Kanto."

"That's quite a ways away. How did you arrive here?" I paused.

"I walked." The room went quiet. The two of them knew that walking from Kanto to here was just as tiring as it was dangerous, especially for a girl with no pokemon. I had just received a weapon today, so the look of surprise on the mayor's face said it all. He wasn't sure if I was joking or serious. The longer the silence seemed to convince him I wasn't fibbing. And I wasn't. It had taken me ten days to get here, and it wasn't at all fun.

"Well, it'll be nice to rest, won't it? I suppose my wife wouldn't mind lending some pajama bottoms for you. I'll be right back." He left Wes and I alone. The awkwardness of the situation didn't hit me until he had already taken off down the hallway. Luckily the powerful pokemon trainer was preoccupied with removing his shoes to notice my red cheeks.

"Esp," I heard a faint voice speak from my feet. Wes' Espeon was rubbing against my leg like a kitten. Aw, she was so cute. When I bent down to pet her, she jumped up and landed on my shoulder. I was surprised at the sudden weight and nearly toppled back onto the bed, but she managed to keep me steady. When we were balanced, the psychic pokemon bumped her head against my cheek. She was so soft and warm it was like pressing my face to a furry heater.

"It looks like she likes you," Wes commented. "You're the first one she'll let you carry."

"I am?" She bumped her head against my cheek again. I scratched under her chin with two fingers. Her purring was loud against my ear. "She doesn't look like the type of pokemon that doesn't always ask for cuddles."

"Psychic pokemon are harder to bond with." He threw his belt on the bed. I guess he was wearing it for the sake of keeping pokeballs on him, because his robe didn't need to be held up. "A select few can read minds, other ones can only sense what someone's intentions are." Read minds? Oh great, there's a chance this pokemon can tell whatever I didn't want it to know. Espeon made a noise I guessed was a chuckle. Yeah, she could read minds alright.

"Here you are, dear." The mayor came back through the door with a pair of silk pajama bottoms and tops. I'm not saying I didn't want them, I just didn't feel like wearing silk with Wes in the room. He saw the outfit, but he didn't seem to care. "There's a set for you in my room, Wes."

"Thank you." He replied, starting out the room. As soon as he was gone, the mayor tossed me the pajamas. "I'll shut the door. You get changed."

"Wait, I don't-" Too late. He was already gone. Well, might as well get dressed. Good thing I did, too. Right when I had got in bed, someone knocked. I told them to come in and Wes entered. He wasn't in his robe anymore. He was wearing some basketball shorts and loose white shirt. Oh God, this was going to be more embarrassing then I thought. Still, he blatantly ignored the awkwardness of the situation.

He climbed into bed and switched off the lamp on the used nightstand before turning the other way. He rearranged himself under the covers, but because his back was facing me, I wasn't sure if his eyes were closed or not. Mine sure as hell weren't. I faced the opposite way as well, but I had this uncanny feeling that he was having just as much trouble going to sleep as I was. There was a chance that wasn't true. Maybe he was just a silent sleeper.

"Hey." I froze. He wasn't asleep.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Your throat alright?" Is that his way of starting a conversation? I felt my neck. It was sore, there'd definitely be a bruise there in the morning. Maybe I could wear a scarf or something. There was no way I was going to tell him that.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Good."

The room went silent. Now I was almost certain that he wasn't tired. And I wasn't either. The sun had gone down and the moon was in the sky, but it was hard to close my eyes. Every time I did, I pictured Wes. And that was unsettling for me. Especially when we were lying three feet apart from each other. Crap. I was tired but there was almost no way to fall asleep like this. Maybe if I got something off my mind first.

"Why didn't tell me you were a spy?" I asked, almost too low for him to hear.

"A spy for Team Snagem?" he asked back in a slightly louder volume.

"Yeah." He snorted.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me if I did."

"I would've believed you, Wes."  
Silence. Oh, no. That was too impulsive of me. I shouldn't have said it. Was it wrong to say that? It was awkward now, really awkward. My face was red and hot like a chili pepper. I shouldn't have said his name. There wasn't enough trust between us to start calling each other-

"Thank you, Rui," he said softly.

Oh my god oh my god oh my god. He said my name. He said it. Now I was red as a strawberry and my heart was racing. It was so loud I hoped that he couldn't hear it. I tried to stifle it, but a smile broke through my defenses. Not like a cute smile, but a wide, derpy smile that nearly stretched my skin. The swirling sensation in my chest felt so good; it was like someone was massaging my heart.

Before I knew it, Wes let out a big sigh. Slowly, I checked over my shoulder. The pokemon trainer had repositioned himself on the bed like a lazy starfish. An arm and a leg were hanging over the edge, a finger or two twitching. His mouth hung open yet he took breaths through his nose. Umbreon was curled up on his stomach, ears pressed against his back.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Espeon hopped up and curled up on mine as well. She walked in a circle with gentle paws. Then she plopped down and curled in a ball, tail over her nose, and closed her eyes. Her breathing matched mine as I felt myself falling into a deep slumber.

Espeon Has Bonded With Rui!

Rui Used Flatter!

Wes Is Asleep!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	5. Pyrite Town And My Skarmory Feather!

Chapter 5

I couldn't remember the last time I had slept in a bed as comfortable as the mayors'. It was a pillow top with memory foam pillows. The comforter was made of down and the sheets were freshly washed and soft as silk. It was like I was sleeping on a cloud. When I turned to my side in the night, Espeon curled up against my chest and purred. I rested my hand on her and stroked her for a few seconds before sleep took me again.

"What makes you think you can find her?" a voice shouted. My father was staring down at me from his spot in the black sky, face red and teeth bared. "She ran away; she'll never take you back!"

"She's better off without you!" another voice called. My mom pushed him out of the way and wagged a wrinkly finger at me. "You're a terrible pokemon trainer! You should've made her happy! Now look at yourself! You can't even pick up another pokeball!"

"You're not going anywhere, sis." The image of my brothers' face stared down at me. He was the largest of my family and his entire image was so large it was nearly too big to take in. "You're staying here or you're never welcome back!" He lifted his giant hand. "What's it gonna be, Rui?!"

He didn't give me time to reply. Right before I started to run away, he brought his hand down on me, crushing me like a bug.

I jumped up into a sitting position, a curt scream escaping me. Espeon shrieked and fell off the bed, where she clumsily landed on her feet before staring up to me with wide eyes. Umbreon, who had been sitting on the other bed, just lifted his head in my direction. I barely noticed him. My arms went up and down my body, patting all of it.

It was just a dream. It was all just a dream.

I hid my face in my hands. Why? Why did the one night I was most comfortable be filled with nightmares. Now my whole body was trembling and my eyes were about to spill tears. There was no need for that, I told myself. It's over. It was just a bad nightmare.

"What's going on?" The mayor opened the door to the room and hurried inside. Wes was behind him, a little less quick, and scanned around it. There was nothing out of place except me, covered in sweat and hair in complete disarray. I tried to look normal, but the dream had shaken me too much. "My dear Rui, did you have a nightmare?"

"Y-yeah." Espeon hopped back up on the bed and nudged my hands. I pet her head with three fingers, which she purred loudly too. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Umbreon snorted in my direction. There was no telling what that meant. It could've meant 'All is good', or it could've been a scolding noise of disapproval for waking him. Either or, the others weren't entirely convinced I was alright. Yet they disregarded it.

"Well then," the mayor said, clearing his throat. "I made sure to have your clothes washed by my wife last night." He gently set my clothes, pristine and ironed, on the bed near my feet. "That should last you awhile. I'm not sure if you plan on getting another set of outfits, but I would recommend you do. These took my wife quite a while to stitch up."

"I'll get some new ones," I half promised, half lied. As much as a new pair of clothes sounded great, I had no money to get them. Those had been my only set for quite some time. There had been few chances I'd been able to wash them, but there had been even more I'd had to walk around in a watering hole to wash off at least a little of the smell.

"Good." He took ahold of the door handle. "There is quite the breakfast for us when you're ready to meet up downstairs. Till then, get dressed and all prettied up with whatever you find to your liking in the bathroom." Wes and him then left the room and shut the door behind them.

After a while of getting dressed, washing up, and brushing my hair, I was walking down the stairs to the main floor. In the center of the room, a huge table had been set up that Wes and the mayor were sitting at. The entire thing was covered with breakfast foods. There were waffles and bacon and eggs and cereal. It was almost too much food for the three of us to eat, yet as the two of them picked away at it, I began to realize how hungry I was. How long had it been since I last ate?

Wes saw me pause at the top of the stairs and pointed to a seat between him in the mayor with his fork. He was slowly picking away at a tall pile of pancakes that were nearly doused with chocolate syrup. When I sat down, he slid me a platter of bacon, sausages, and eggs with his pointer finger before casually returning to his own plate.

"Where did you get all this food?" I asked. The urge to down the plate in one gulp was strong, but if I did that, the two of them would think less of me. So I picked at the food one bite at a time. It was almost too good. It had been cooked to perfection.

"Wes is quite the cook," the mayor praised. "He got up quite early to make all of it." I paused halfway through a cup of orange juice. He made all of this? By himself? How long did it take him? At least an hour, I guessed.

"Thanks," I said in his direction. He chuckled as a response before politely taking the final bite of his pancakes. I'd known this guy for only a day and he was only getting cooler and cooler. Fighting rogue pokemon, blowing up Team Snagem's base, being part of an undercover plot to save Shadow Pokemon, and now he could cook like a master chef. What couldn't this guy do?

After we had eaten, the mayor stood and started taking dishes to the sink. "The two of you will be needed in Pyrite Town. There's been some complaint of unusual pokemon activity, which you know means." I downed the last of my milk before wiping it away with a handkerchief. "If you have any updates, report to me from your PDA, Wes."

"Yessir," he replied.

"Now, go on, shoo. I'll take care of the dishes. You have quite the journey to make." Wes didn't waste one minute. He stood up from the table and pushed in the chair before starting out the door. I quickly cleared my plate before following him out the door. Umbreon hopped up on his shoulder the same time Espeon hopped on mine. The trip was short-lived when we arrived at the bike. I started to hop up.

"Hey," Wes said, catching my attention. I turned back to him, and the able pokemon trainer was holding out his hand. In it was a blue scarf that reminded me of the color of my eyes. I was confused at first, but then I remembered: my neck must've been heavily bruised.

"Oh, thanks." When I reached to take it, he leaned forward and started putting it on himself. There was no way he couldn't have seen me blush. Yet he continued anyway, tying the silk fabric comfortably around my throat. He finished and then lifted me up onto the bike. It was almost too much for me to wrap my arms around him again. My heart was about to leap out of my chest. I managed and we started off to Pyrite, but Espeon smiled at me the whole way.

If you looked up the meaning of 'dump' in the dictionary, you would probably get a picture of Pyrite Town. Each building was a different color ranging from puke green to poop brown to infected white. They were stained with graffiti and marks of people who had tried to break in. Each one crumbled slightly when the wind blew past, and there was no sign they were to be repaired.

The city barely had a sidewalk. If they did, it was a long time ago and it had poorly been set down, because the majority of cement had been removed, broken, or covered in dirt. It was ragged and covered in hidden pieces of glass that had either been a window or bottles of beer. The people looked just as shady as the rest of the town. They had stern faces and torn clothes, bottles in their hands and toes sticking out of their shoes. When we approached on the bike, they glared at us before directing themselves the other way.

It wasn't exactly where I had planned to arrive, let alone did I want to.

We came to a stop and Wes hopped off the bike. He helped me down slowly, as the ground was littered with broken glass near the entrance.

"Mr. Johnson, give a man a break here." A man with lime green hair and a broke set of goggles was nearby. He wore a black jumpsuit that must've been way too hot for him because sweat was dripping down the sides of his head thickly. He was talking to a man in an obvious police uniform. Though he was the one in question, he didn't look too worried about being arrested. He was picking old food from his teeth and flicking it off absently. "I dunno about any weird pokemon. You're the first one I've heard it from."

The authority figure known as Mr. Johnson looked tired. He must've been at this for a while. "That better be true, Cail." Aiming a glare at him, Mr. Johnson started back into Pyrite, where he disappeared into a nearby building. Cail chuckled and continued adjusting his teeth. It was obvious he was content with how the situation had turned out.

Wes started off into the town as soon as it was done. I followed closely. If there was any place I was going to be attacked, it was most likely here in this craphole of a city. I thought I'd see some Shadow Pokemon out there in the open, or at least another suspicious figure, but everyone looked like they wanted to jump us. Any of these people could have Shadow Pokemon. Any of them could be part of Team Snagem. And whether they were or not, Wes ignored each and every one of them. I forced myself to do the same.

When we turned to corner of the main street, a new side of town appeared. There, only a short walk away and across a dangerously unstable bridge was a pokemon stadium. The stadium looked like it had survived a meteor shower because it was dotted with holes and leaning to one side. The entrance was just a gap that someone had opened with a hammer and some power tools. Though it looked to be only a shell of its former self, the inside was lit up and the dull roar of a crowd could be heard.

But to get to that, you had to cross this dusty battlefield. Well, I wouldn't call it much of a battlefield. It was basically a larger section of the street with a poorly painted pokeball on the ground. A few tougher-looking trainers were talking while standing on it. When they saw Wes and I start to pass them, the town went silent and all eyes turned to us.

Please let us pass, please let us pass, I prayed. the last thing we needed was a fight with-

"Hey." Yep, praying didn't do much good. A man with spiked dirt blonde hair approached the two of us, standing right in Wes' path. He was forced to stop. "You two aren't from around here, are you? You're not even following the simplest rules."

"Rules?" I asked quietly. The man looked past Wes and at me. He didn't look too happy I had spoken up.

"Yeah," he snapped. "If you stand in the middle in the square, you're gonna have to battle someone. Rules are there for a reason." He pulled out a pokeball and tapped his fingers on it. Already I could see the Haze seeping through the cracks in the device and feel the pressure of a Shadow Pokemon trying to get out.

I nudged Wes. He glanced back at me. I nodded. He had to battle this guy and take his Shadow Pokemon.

"Fine," my partner said. Umbreon and Espeon jumped onto the battlefield, tail twitching anxiously. "Don't be upset if you lose."

"I'm not losing," the goon replied. "Emok! Double battle!" A girl approached him from the crowd. Judging from her bandana, long-sleeved belly shirt, and tight black leggings, she appeared to be the town's leading female pokemon trainer. She pulled out a ball of her own which also leaked the Haze like a smoke machine. Again, Wes glanced back at me. I nodded once again.

"You ready, Vant?" she asked. Her teeth were yellow and crooked. It was the only part about her that seemed to be lacking in the beauty department. Vant positioned his pokeball firmly in his hand.

"Ready." They threw their pokemon out on the field. A quilava and a noctowl emerged, both of which were surrounded by the Haze. The two of theme emerged on the battlefield, grinning , crazed. When they saw each other, it was their first thought to battle each other, but Vant and Emok had dealt with this before. The two trainers shouted and hollered at their pokemon until the Shadows pried their attention ff each other and focused on Umbreon and Espeon.

Noctowl's eyes were fully opened and blood red from lack of sleep. His beak twitched and his talons were torn. It was like Vant had never heard of a pokemon center. The quilava looked even more torn up. There were sections on her back that had been wounded and couldn't ignite fire, just a small tendril of black smoke. One eye was forced shut as she was obviously in pain.

It was terrible. These trainers were pushing these two pokemon to their limit. Why would they do such a thing? Why would anyone do something this terrible? They were Shadows, I know, but they were living creatures. It hurt me just to look at them.

"Espeon," Wes said softly. "Use hypnosis on the both of them. There won't be any need to battle long." She waved her tail at him in acknowledgement. The red gem on her forehead began to glow brightly. The two Shadow Pokemon stopped to stare. Big mistake. As soon as the red gem began to pulse, Quilava and Noctowl began to get drowsy.

"Wake up, you good for nothing pokemon!" Vant shouted. "You guys haven't even hit them yet!" They heard him but they didn't care. They let sleep overcome them like a warm blanket. Both curled up on the ground, sighing pleasantly.

"You two are useless!" Emok shouted. "Look at you! We're going to lose at this rate!" She was about to shout more, but he pokemon vanished right in front of her. The two Shadow Pokemon were trapped inside Snag balls now, and they weren't even slightly willing to try and escape.

"What… what the hell?!" Vant stepped forward to pick up the balls, but Umbreon jumped in front of him. The spots on his body glowed menacingly, keeping him at bay while Wes walked over and picked up their pokemon. "You good for nothing cheater! You can't just steal someone else's pokemon!"

Wes clipped the balls onto his belt. "Watch me."

Emok darted at him, screaming in rage. He saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and, right before she tackled him, bent down. Emok missed and ended up flopping onto his back, where he flipped her over his shoulder and onto the dirt. Vant tried to attack next. He caught Wes from behind in a chokehold, but the pokemon trainer had wedged his hands up to his cheeks before his attacker could fully secure the grip. Angry, the attacker squeezed on his wrists. The grip was his downfall, for when he was on tight enough, Wes dropped to his back and slammed Vant right on the dirt opposite of his girlfriend. The hit was so hard that vomit trickled out of the corner of Vant's mouth.

I covered my mouth with both my hands. Wes had just gotten even cooler. He knew martial arts. I couldn't help myself.

"Awesome!" I shouted. My partner had just freed himself when I had complimented him. He looked to me and a faint smile flashed on his lips.

"H-help!" The two of us turned. There was a building a short ways ahead. It looked was a dirty blue and almost completely rusted. Wherever there wasn't rust there was black, illegible graffiti. A shorter man with broken glasses and an ashy lab coat stumbled out with a limp to his step. "The-the colosseum…" he stammered. "It's-" His ankle twisted and he fell to the dirt. It looked painful, but the man was so out of it that he seemed to hardly feel it.

Wes started towards him, but two trainers cut them off. One of them was a girl with a pink skirt and top, holding a cane and adjusting her frilled top hat. She put the butt of her cane on his chest and glowered.

"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy?" she questioned. Her gaudy makeup nearly flaked off as she spoke. "I think you owe the rest of us a battle after that little display." The other trainer, a mid-thirties hipster with old rollerskates, jabbed a finger at him.

"We'll take you on this time. You'll have to wait till after the battle to help him." Wes paused to think. He couldn't possibly walk away from them. It'd start a full-on fight if he did. So he turned back to me, gesturing to the balls the two misfits held in their hands. Both emitted the black Haze, so I nodded. He had no other choice.

"Go," he ordered me. "See what's going on."

"R-right." I ran past him and towards the building. Some of the townspeople looked like they were about to give chase, but none of them made the first move to do so. There was going to be a battle against a man who could steal pokemon and two of their own. Who would pass up a chance to see that? Who would want to chase a girl who didn't look tough at all?

Well thank goodness for that, because when I got to the scientist, he was awake enough to speak to me.

"Inside," he breathed, "the building…" He fainted before I could ask questions. I felt bad that he had twisted his ankle, so, carefully, I repositioned it the right way on the dirt. It was the least I could do.

The inside of the crippled building was what looked to be a control room. Behind a metal barrier was a small area of gears and cogs that were slowing to a painful, loud stop. Inside the restricted area was a bald man with a shiny dome. He had just removed the cog that connected two different groups of gears. Without the one he held, the machine wouldn't work properly.

"Stop," a voice rasped from the corner. Near a control panel and on the floor was a man in a bright orange construction suit. There was a welt growing on the side of his head. "That gear… the colosseum won't have power." The brown-haired assailant snorted in his direction. He wasn't too big and too scary. And when he turned to me, it was unnerving to see that his face was riddled with scars.

"Hm? What are you doing here, little girl?" I pulled the skarmory feather out of the sheath Wes had given me that morning. Not a good idea. "Oh, so we got a fighter here. Judging by that blade, you're not a trainer." He stepped over the barrier and towards me menacingly. I backed against the entrance. I couldn't let this guy get past me; I had to fight. "Move out of the way, little girl. There's no need to shed blood over a stolen piece of metal. Now, run along."

"No," I snapped. "Put the gear back!" My voice trembled. He smiled.

"You're scared, aren't you? I promise I won't hurt you if you stand aside." He leaned to my height and outstretched his hand, ready to grab me. "If you don't, I'll have to kill ya."

My impulsive side kicked in again. I repositioned the blade in my hands until it was comfortable. Then, aiming for his arm, I brought the blade down on it and slashed it vertically, cutting the skin wide open and splattering blood all around the room.

Wes Caught Noctowl And Quilava!

Wes Is Trapped!

Rui Used Run Away!

Rui Used Cut!

It's Super Effective!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	6. Rain, Romance, And Rest!

Chapter 6

It wasn't at all pleasing to feel the feather cut through his skin and even worse to feel the warm splatter of blood on my face. But it worked.

The thief backed away, clutching his arm with his uninjured hand. At first he thought he was dreaming. He blinked a few times, looked around, and then gently squeezed the wound. When he came to the realization that it wasn't fake, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He dropped to his knees and then flat on his face. I had to scramble backwards to avoid being crushed.

"Rui," I heard Wes call from outside. He stepped into the room. "Are you al-" He came to a stop. The giant that I had defeated was still on the ground out cold. At first Wes couldn't believe it. But when the giant moaned, he came to. "Get Sherles," he snapped to the construction worker that had just come to and climbed to his feet. "Get him and tell him to bring bandages."

"U-u-uh, yes. Ok!" He darted out of the room, stumbling over his own feet. When he had gone, Wes pulled me aside.

"Did he attack you?" he asked. My mouth didn't work. My tongue was dry and my thoughts were scrambled. His words didn't make sense to me. He noticed I wasn't able to reply and started looking me up and down, checking for any sign of damage. When he found none, he pat my cheek, gently bringing me to.

I blinked. Oh, man. I had really cut that man open, hadn't I? His blood was everywhere, even on me. It wasn't my fault, though. He was going to kill me. He even said so himself. I had done what was right.

"Rui," he said. "Can you hear me?" Had he been talking to me for long? He must've, because he was beginning to pat my cheek harder.

"Y-y-yeah." I was holding the bloody blade so tightly my knuckles were turning white. I dropped it on the ground and backed away. Wes had to step away to avoid being hit by it. My hands trembled. Had I killed him? Was that man going to die because of me?

My thoughts were so distracting and rapid that I didn't notice that Wes had stepped forward right in front of me and took my hands in his. He cupped the both of them in his gloved hands and held tight. His grip was warm and soft. He was sure to hold them gently, almost enough to where I could easily slip out. But I wasn't going to do that.

It felt so right.

I wanted to keep my gaze off his. I couldn't look at him without blushing. But I failed. It was impossible not to meet his gaze. For the first time since I'd met him, his gaze was soft and calm. He didn't look like that tough, angry trainer anymore.

The gold in his eyes were enticing, almost hypnotic. Mine must have been the same, because he lost himself in the moment. The two of us just stood there, hands touching, as the time passed. What was he thinking? Did I look ugly, covered in blood and panicked? I hope I didn't. For him, I wanted to look at least a little pretty.

"You're going to be fine," he said suddenly. His voice was a whisper. "You did the right thing. It was either him or you, and I'd much rather it be a criminal than you." My heart skipped a beat. He did care about me. Maybe it was just my safety, but it was something. Something that made me feel so much better.

"Wes." A man with spiked grey hair caught our attention. He was standing beside the Mr. Johnson, the man who had confronted Cail earlier about the menacing pokemon. Judging by his outfit and the badges on his vest, he was a cop, a much more experienced cop. Behind him, a team of two girls were assisting the fallen villain. Already, his arm was wrapped and the bleeding had stopped.

"Sherles," Wes greeted, squeezing my hand before releasing it.

"I suppose I owe you a thank you for stopping him." The officer straightened the larger badge on the left side of his chest. "The colosseum doesn't do well without power. It's still a mystery to me why they'd want to shut if off, however."

"It was probably just a way to isolate those inside so they could steal their pokemon," Wes assured. Sherles nodded. Was that really it? Just to keep some trainers in the dark in the middle of their battle? That couldn't be it, it was too dumb of a plan. Wes had said it, but when he had, the look on his face changed. Now he was beginning to doubt it himself. Then, "It wasn't me who stopped him."

"It wasn't?" Sherles looked towards me. There was no way he wasn't going to believe it wasn't me. I was splattered with blood and the weapon that had did it was at my feet. His eyebrows raised in surprise. "You?"

"Um, yeah."

"Hm. Well, thank you."  
"Sir, he's regaining consciousness," one of the female doctors reported.

"I should take this. You two see if you can find any other signs of Team Snagem nearby."

"Yessir," Wes replied. I was fully ready to chase after him before he marched out of the room, but this time was different.

He actually waited for me to pick up my weapon and step up to his side.

When I was ready, he nodded at me and we stepped outside. It had gotten dark, not because the day was ending and night was starting, but because dark clouds were covering the sun. More of them were on the way and the sound of approaching thunder boomed in the distance. Just as it hit our ears, the first few drops of rain began to fall from the sky. It was a gentle drizzle, but the action that had taken place today began to wash away under the cold shower of weather. I found myself closing my eyes and opening my arms to the sky. I loved rain. There was nothing better after being splattered by blood to have to washed off by something as soothing as this.

For a brief moment, I opened my eyes to see if Wes had left me behind, but he hadn't. He was standing beside me, chin inclined to the sky slightly. His eyes were closed, and even as the rain hit his face, he didn't flinch. In this weather he looked like a statue, a handsome, cute statue. It made me smile to see that he loved the rain just as much as I did.

The square that Wes had battled in was empty. Every thug, goon, and misfit had disappeared to avoid the upcoming storm. The buildings in the city began to shed their rust, their graffiti, and their dust. The street began to show itself from under the heavy buildup of dirt and garbage. Though it was still cracked and old, it was a lot better than the latter.

Now the buildings were turning on their lights, inside and outside. The storm was getting thicker and the rain was hitting harder. It was dark and it was only bound to get darker, for a thicker cloud was approaching in the distance.

"Let's get to the hotel. We can check out the colosseum tomorrow." I followed him across the square and towards the entrance to the city. The hotel he was about to enter had a neon sign on the outside that flickered faintly. Even I could tell from the inside that it was pretty full already.

A familiar song started playing in high-pitched mockery. Wes reached into his pocket and pulled out what must've been his PDA. Though it was his, I was surprised to see it was covered in pink pokemon stickers. He flipped it open and held it up to his ear.

"Yessir?" he said, leading me to the overhang that kept us at least a little bit drier. I heard a voice that sounded like the mayor's on the other end of the line. The words were drowned out by the sound of the rain as it hit the ground. While I waited for their conversation to stop, I adjusted the scarf. Wow, Wes really knew how to keep this comfortable but tight enough to stay in place. And it was the perfect color, too. How had he managed to buy something so perfect? WAs he secretly into fashion? "I can do that. See you in a few." He flipped the phone shut.

"Everything alright?" I asked.

"It turns out that Team Snagem isn't the only organization we need to worry about. Now there's Team Cipher to deal with. They're even worse than the ones I had to deal with."

"How so?" I asked.

"They're making a grab for Ho-oh." What? The Light Pokemon? What would they want with that? Wait, that was obvious.

They were going to either kill or convert it.

"There's a few of them stationed here in Pyrite," he continued. "And by a few, I mean enough that we can't take them on alone. We have to wait a while for some backup."

"Backup? There's more of us?"

"Not much, but enough to work." He typed a few things into his PDA. It looked like an old flip phone to me, but who was I to judge. All I had growing up was a track phone, and most of the time it was turned off because my parents forgot to pay the bill every other week. I wondered why he had so many jigglypuffs and bunearys. "Do you like it, or does it seem weird that I carry it?" I turned red when Wes spoke. Oops, probably shouldn't have stared too long.

"Um. I'm not sure." He held it up and flipped it open for me to see.

"I suppose you don't have a younger sister, then." Oh, was that it? His little sister had decorated it? He used something that girly even though he worked hard to keep up a badass reputation, that meant he wasn't as mean as I thought. "You have any family?"

"Yeah," I responded. "A mom, dad, and older brother."

"Hm." He held the phone out to me. "Go ahead and put in your number so I can call you if you're not nearby." I didn't take it. He blinked in surprise. "Did you not want to give it out?"

"No, I just don't have a cell phone." He paused.

"Then how do you keep in contact with your family?"

"I don't."

He went silent. For the first time since I met him, he appeared embarrassed. Only in the inclined eyebrows, though. His mouth and eyes were forced to portray no emotion.

Then, "I'll have it arranged so you have one of your own. If you're going to be on a team with me, you're going to need to stay in communication with me."

"Alright, that'd be cool." I smiled faintly. "Thank you." He nodded. "How long is it going to take for backup to get here?" Wes glanced up at the sky, scanning it.

"They can't get through the storm, so a little while after it ends." Thunder followed his words. It was louder than before. Now the rain was pouring harder and lightning was lighting up the sky.

They weren't going to arrive any time soon.

"I suppose we can get a room inside and wait until the storm passes." I followed him inside. There, a bulky man was sitting at the counter reading a book almost too small for him to hold. When we entered, tracking dirt and water with us, he sighed. He was probably the one who had to mop up.

"Welcome," he said, bored. "Would you like a room?"

"Yes," Wes said.

"We have one open. It has one queen bed. Is that satisfactory?" No, it wasn't. I wanted to rest just as much as Wes did, but not in the same bed. That was just too much. Way too-

"That'll be fine," Wes confirmed. He pulled some money out of his pockets and set it on the counter. The man took it and slid it messily into a drawer before pulling a key out from one next to it. It was almost nothing but rust; you could hardly identify it as a key in that shape. "Thank you." He looked to me, making sure I was by his side, then lead me through a door to the right.

The inside of the hotel wasn't made of wood or drywall. It was metal. The tables, the floor, the ceiling, and the lights were made of it. Now that it was cold and wet outside, it was chilly in there. I found myself shivering.

They hadn't bothered to decorate much, either. Sure, there was a painting here and there, but the walls were almost always bare of anything but dents and rust. The whole way we walked to our room, there was only rug on the floor, and it had been worn heavily by the feet of many people. The only nice thing about it was that it was well lit by warm light. It made me feel a touch warmer, if anything.

"Here," Wes said, stopping at a section of wall that was cut poorly to resemble a door. He put the key in the hole and opened it. With the exception of a nightstand, a desk, and a bed, it was nothing but a slightly larger version of the hallway. Man, this town was a dump. Why hadn't it been knocked off the map yet, or at least fixed?

I stepped inside. Wes had already thrown his belt on the bed. Jeez, he had at least ten Shadow Pokemon on there. He must've worked up a storm while I was fighting the thug who wanted to steal the cog. Which was still a mystery to me. Why take the power to a large stadium, moderately inconveniencing a few trainers?

"You going to rest?" Wes asked.

"Hm? Oh, sure."

"Do you mind the light on? I want to read." Read? Him? Where did he even keep a book on his person? As I thought about it, he pulled a book out from an inner chest pocket. Wow, he must carry that thing everywhere.

"I don't mind." I took off my boots and set them near the door, where Wes had already set his. He adjusted the lamp next to the bed before sitting on it and leaning against the headboard. I slipped under the covers on the opposite side. For a crappy hotel they still had a soft and unusually clean bed. It would've been easy to fall asleep, but I wanted to catch a glance of what he was reading.

That was weird. The cover of the book was on the wrong side. He was even working through the pages from right to left. When I looked a little closer, it was just a comic book. A comic book called Kaitou Jeanne. It looked sorta girly; there was a boy and a girl holding each other on the front. He must've been reading it for a while because it was volume eight.

"Never heard of manga before?" he asked. Oh jeez. I had been so busy looking at the cover I hadn't noticed he was staring right at me. I tried not to blush. "They're Japanese, so you read them right to left. Sometimes they have an animated show, too. It's called anime." He held it out to me after slipping a bookmark inside. I took it and flipped through a few pages.

"Don't you get confused about which way to read?" I asked.

"No. When you've read enough it comes naturally. I can switch between manga and other books just fine." He paused when I flipped onto a page of the two people on the cover kissing. I blushed, but he chuckled. "I know, I'm not the type of person you'd expect to read romances."

"It's not a bad thing," I said quickly. "I used to read romances when I was younger. Not manga, but you know."

"Why'd you stop?"

"Uh, ran out of money." He blinked at me. Great, now he knew I was lying. What do I say now? He was probably going to think I was such a jerk for not telling him something as simple at that. Maybe I should just lay back down and-

"You don't have to be shy." He smiled at me. "I'm not going to judge you whether you want or don't want to tell me." Oh my god, that smile! He was so handsome! Look at him! If only I could take a picture of it and keep it in my wallet to open every time I got upset. What a big, sweet, cutie! I found myself smiling back.

"I left them at my parent's house. And I haven't really gotten the money to buy some more, let alone the place to keep them." He smiled a bit more when he saw that I had decided to share it with him.

"Well, I can teach you how to read mine, if you'd-"

"Yes, I'd really like that!" I interrupted him, but instead of pausing, he chuckled again. This time, it was a little louder. I was blushing wildly now. You got too excited, Rui, too excited. But it looked to have paid off.

"Good. Next time we drop by my place, I'll give you a couple."

"Wait, you have a place?" He met my eyes.

"Yeah. My parents thought that I should be able to handle my own finances by at least twenty." He's twenty? He looked my age, how could he be two years older than me? "You haven't finished high school yet, have you?" Did… did he think I was still in high school?

"No, I finished just this year. I'm eighteen." That took him by surprise.

"You are?" He leaned a little closer to get a better look at my face. Try not to freak out, I told myself. Try not to freak out! "You look younger than that. My apologies if that offends you."

"N-no, it doesn't." I didn't tell him, but I loved the way my features made me younger than I really was. Maybe when I grew up, it would work to my advantage. I guess the same went for him, because he was twenty and looked fresh out of high school. "How can you afford your own place?"

"Team Snagem Admins get paid pretty well," he said, opening his book back up and absently checking out one of the pages he had already read. Admin? This guy is quite the trainer and, even more so, a great actor and spy. "But now that I'm outta there, the mayor pays me. Don't know what to expect, but he's pretty generous. If things get tight, I usually just battle." He flipped a page. "How do you make money?"

Oh great, another question that was a harder to answer. But that was ok. It felt good to talk to someone about this kind of stuff. When I arrived in the Orre Region and spent all my time at Outskirt Sand with Willie, he had been the only real company I had. I wasn't willing to tell him much, though. He was more about himself than anyone else. Not the type to feel bad for others because, guess what, they had him to talk to.

"I do chores for people," I said.

"Chores…?"

"You know. If I see someone struggling with some boxes or notice a dirty car I offer to help." He believed me, but only because it was true. It was obvious he didn't like the sound of it.

"You're getting paid to do all this stuff with me."

"When did that start?"

"Right now." I blinked at him, but he was too absorbed by a crinkle in one of the pages that he probably didn't notice. Was he going to pay me? Or was he going to talk to the mayor about it? Either way, why? "I think that putting your life in danger like you did today was enough of a reason to earn some income." It was like he read my mind. "You might want to get some rest. We're going to need you as soon as the storm passes."

"Right." I situated myself under their covers again. These beds were so soft and comfortable. I fell asleep right away.

The storm was getting heavier. As Wes continued to read, it became harder and harder to focus. It didn't look like they could start taking on Team Cipher today. It was already three in the afternoon and there was no sign of sun. The thunder shook the hotel and everything in it. The clattering of metal and the sound of rain was deafening. When he looked outside, the square was beginning to flood. It was black as night. There was no sun nor were there stars. Just the flickering neon lights of buildings as they were pelted by the heavy rain.

For a while, Wes considered sleeping as well. It was easier for him to fall asleep during harder storms, but this one made him uneasy. There was a chance it could begging to flood or shift into something larger, maybe a tornado. So he rested against the headboard and leaned his head backwards. The gentle sound of my breathing was soothing. It was the only calm sound in the entire hotel. People nearby were walking around, eager to look out the front door to get a close up of what was raging beyond it. They were chatting, and though they were nearby, Wes couldn't make out what they said.

He looked to the door. I had locked it on my way in. That made the uneasiness in his chest lift slightly. But it was still unnerving to be in a town filled with Shadow Pokemon and Team Cipher. He wouldn't be able to sleep like this.

"Mmf," I muttered. Wes looked over to me. I was still asleep yet my fists were clenched. "Nnf..."

She looked like she was having a bad dream, he thought. Maybe the storm was annoying her.

"Wes..."

The pokemon trainer stared. He was about to ask what I wanted, but I had fallen back asleep. My hands were loose and my eyes were no longer squeezed shut. The breaths I took were full and slow. The nightmare had been lifted.

Maybe, Wes thought. Maybe I can get some sleep.

He lie down, too tired to pull the covers over him, and turned away from me. His robe wasn't exactly the best sleepwear, so it took a short while of shifting before he was comfortable. I paused my breathing for a second while he did so. When he had finished, I fell back asleep.

Then, without knowing I was doing so, I scoot a closer to him until my back was pressed against his. Wes knew he wasn't under the covers, but he could still feel my warmth. So warm, he thought.

Now he was more than able to fall asleep.

Wes Is Drowsy!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	7. United For The Sake Of A Plusle!

Chapter 7

The door to our room clattered. Wes was up almost immediately. The storm couldn't have caused such a ruckus, someone was trying to break in. I lifted my head, drowsy. My partner put a finger to his lips, signaling for me to be quiet. Now I was fully awake, but to avoid making noise, I stayed under the covers.

The door pounded again, this time louder. Someone had to be pretty strong to make a noise like that. It was fairly scary.

"Open up you blabbering idiot," a man called from the other side. "The backup has arrived." Wes was hesitant, but he still opened up and allowed the man inside.

It was no wonder that this guy was able to nearly knock the door down. He was huge. He was a foot taller than Wes and had triple the muscles. His arms were so large that I doubted his could scratch his head without tilting it a weird angle. His shirt was large but it was barely able to contain his full upper body, as it looked strained and the sleeves had been ripped off. His brown hair was greased back down to the back of his neck and his mustache was just as greasy but only to keep it in place while he spoke. He dripped water on the floor; he must've come from outside, where the storm still had not let up.

He pointed a meaty finger at my partner. "You're Wes, correct?" My partner didn't say anything. "Don't be like that. The mayor called me and told me you needed some help. The storm won't go away anytime soon, so he thought it was better to hire a few people from in town to help. Luckily, I want to go after Team Cipher just as much as you do."

"Are these them?" a kid poked his head around the bodybuilder. He looked to be a little younger than me, maybe sixteen. His dirty blonde hair was short and spiked in the front. He wore a long-sleeved navy jacket with matching shorts, both of which were doused. On his head, a plusle was shaking herself off. "Hey, they look pretty cool."

"This is Silva," the man introduced, clapping the kid on the shoulder. "And I'm Duking. We're here to help." I got out of bed and walked up beside Wes.

"So the mayor hired you, then?" I asked.

"Of course. He said if you don't believe us to tell you 'Es Cade.'" Wes paused.

"Fine, I believe you."

"What does that mean?" I whispered.

"It's a password, the mayor's real name that he tells almost no one."

"Ohhh."

"So are we doing this thing or not?" Duking asked, taking the plusle from his head and holding it lovingly in his arms. I didn't expect such a big guy to love a tiny pokemon like that. Then again, I didn't quite expect Wes to read romance and carry around a pink PDA. "They're all asleep by now, so let's get this over with." The clock on the nightstand read midnight. Wow, this storm wasn't going anywhere. I was asleep for quite a while.

"What's the plan?" Silva asked Duking.

"Go in, get rid of anyone in our way. Miror B. is said to be in there, and I want him out. I trusted his men for but a moment and he betrayed me." Wait, what? Could we really trust this guy? He saw my expression of confusion. "They came up to me saying that they'd help fix a clanking noise we heard in the cog room. I didn't think much of them being part of 'Team Cipher' or whatever, but they were trying to take a cog rather than fix it." He nodded at me. "Thank you."

"O-oh, don't worry about it."

"So we're just barging into their base?" Silva asked. "It doesn't seem very smart to go like that…"

"Smart enough with me around; they'll go running back into the holes they crawled out of. Are you two ready?" Wes glanced at me. I nodded at him.

It was cold outside now. There was a good chance it would've been at least ten degrees warmer if it wasn't windy, and another ten if it wasn't still pouring. Our group wasn't heavily padded, but I seemed to be the only one affected by the cold. As we traveled across the street and a ways down towards the entrance, I noticed that the storm wasn't getting worse, but nor was it getting better either. Lightning struck and thunder boomed, so I tried to walk closer to Wes without looking like a coward.

He chuckled.

"Here," Duking said, stopping beside a pile of garbage that blocked an alley. How was that guy going to fit in there? It was barely enough to fit Wes and I side by side. Yet he managed to do so, stepping over the garbage carefully to make no sound. Silva followed and Wes came after him. I wasn't as tall as them, so it took somewhat of a hop for me to get inside.

The alley was dark, darker than outside. There was no source of light in here except the glowing etchings of Wes' Snag Sleeve. It wasn't much but it was all we had. So naturally, he took the front. I thought the rain had stopped, but it turned out the buildings we had snuck between were close enough that the overhang of their roofs crossed over each other, leaving no room for the rain to seep through. There was a trickle of water dripping in the corner, but otherwise the wind and rain had stopped. A silence was beginning to envelop us.

"Dead end," Wes reported. Sure enough, the ally had come to a stop. Right before the edge of the canyon that bordered the town was a fence. It was pointless to put it there. Anyone who climbed it couldn't even get over the lip of the canyon.

"That can't be," Duking growled, stepping up to his side. "This is where all the Team Cipher vanish. It has to go somewhere." The two of them started feeling the fense for any sign of a hidden door, but there was none. So, desperate, they began to search the walls on either side. Silva and I helped, but as we moved our hands across the rusty, dirty walls, it was beginning to look like we had followed the wrong path.

Until I found what looked to be an empty socket.

"Wes," I called softly. He was already on his way over. I showed him where the hole was. The inside of it was rounded out smoothly in the liking of an orb. It looked like it could easily fit a pokeball. He must've thought the same thing, because when everyone began to gather around, he slipped Espeon's pokeball inside.

We waited and waited, but nothing seemed to happen. No secret door, no hidden handle, no nothing. Just the quiet patter of rain and a disappointed group of heroes.  
"Maybe it's not a pokeball," Silva suggested. "Maybe it's something else, like a special ball that all the peons have." While he spoke, Wes took out his ball and observed it casually. "I mean, if I were in Team Cipher, I wouldn't want just any pokemon to unlock the door. I'd probably use-"

"Shadow Pokemon," Wes said, slipping in one of the Snag Balls. The wall clicked and right away, the wall spat out his pokemon. The socket shifted and out of it poked what looked to be an oddly shaped handle. He took it and turned it ever so slowly, giving Silva and I the room to peak inside without alarming anyone.

There was a room beyond the door. A crappy, rusted, smelly, and heavily dented room. It was like they were always battling inside because there were pokemon footprints all over the place leading to the crated in the wall, ceiling, and floor. One of the wannabe power rangers was inside, but he wasn't one we had seen before. His suit was black and he was slightly shorter than the others. He was also drenched in rain. As he sat down on a stool in front of the counter of a bar, his suit squelched.

There was a girl behind the counter. She had the same suit as the black Cipher peon, but hers was purple and designed for her curvy body. The purple suit was barely padded and her helmet was loose enough to where she could brush her hair and paint her nails without removing it. Behind her, a set of stairs lead upwards. The sound of people shifting about nearly drowned out the rain. How many people did we have to take on?

"We couldn't get any power from the colosseum," the black ranger whined. "That girl who can see the Haze nearly tore Dack apart with a skarmory feather. Do you know how rare those things are? And how sharp? He'll be lucky if he still has his arm afterwards."

"Quit complaining, Nore," the girl in the purple snapped. "I can't paint my nails with you babbling about some idiot who messed up." She pat a cotton ball on her middle finger, where she was painting a picture of a balloon. "As long as it's not us, there's nothing to be worried about."

"But what do we do about the girl?" Nore questioned. "We can't just let her go around helping Wes get any Shadow Pokemon he wants! We'll run out and that machine back there won't be able to spot them out fast enough!" Machine? A machine that makes Shadow Pokemon? Jackpot. While we're here, we can destroy it. If 'back there' meant in this building, however.

"We would've been spitting them out faster if we had the power from the colosseum, but Dack messed that up. Now we need to find a new source." When she finished speaking, she held up her hand to better inspect. I could almost see her face through her helmet; she was disappointed.

That's when duking got sick of waiting and pulled the door open. Nore and the girl froze when they saw four intruders and a plusle enter uninvited.

"What machine?" Wes said calmly. "Where is it?" Nore panicked and tried to speak, but all his words came out in a jumbled mess. Then he looked to the girl, hoping she could explain, but she had already bolted around and up the stairs. He looked back to us, his lips quivering. "The machine?"

"Y-y-you don't get to know!" Nore's voice was hoarse. How afraid of us was he? Pretty afraid, because he unloaded three pokemon at us, one of which was a Shadow Pokemon. I nudged Wes and nodded in the direction of the yanma. He immediately knew what I meant. Umbreon and Espeon jumped from their balls and took the field, following their trainers' command as he pointed to the machoke and starmie. Both pokemon let out a furiouse hiss before leaping forward and attacking the pokemon they were strongest again.

"Don't let them take you like that!" Nore shouted. "They're easy to beat!" But his words went unnoticed. Like his Shadow Pokemon, the bond between his other partners were weak. They didn't listen as he shouted commands that would've easily saved them from fainting. But the pokemon fell into a heap together, beaten without landing a single hit.

That's when Wes pulled out his Snag Ball and prepared it for catching. Just about when it was ready, the yanma sensed danger and bared a mouthful of teeth at either Silva or me. I pulled the feather from the sheath I had strung across my back. The pokemon took one look and then decided it was better to attack Silva. I slashed at it right when it dove for him, but I missed.

It turns out her wanted the plusle on his head.

As he snatched it up with his tiny arms, Wes made an attempt to snag it, but the Shadow Pokemon dodged it just in the nick of time. He hissed at his foe, drool dripping down the sides of his mouth, and darted out of reach. He gave one menacing look back before darting up the stairs, Plusle screaming violently in his arms.

"Plusle!" Silva shouted, shoving Nore to the floor and pursuing her. Duking let out a shout to call his comrade back, but he was already out of earshot. Suddenly, the footsteps upstairs started shuffling. If they didn't know we were here already, they did now.

"You-you'll never take me alive!" Nore shouted. He attempted to jump over the counter, but his foot caught and he fell on the floor opposite of it, nearly chipping all his teeth. Dazed but determined, he got to his feet and fast-limped his way upstairs.

"What are you waiting for?" Duking nearly yelled, pushing past Wes and I. "Let's get going!" He started off over the counter and Wes and I followed. As we went up the stairs, I was surprised how loud it was to step on them. How had no one noticed that there was a hidden building in this ally? Surely with as many people as there were in here, someone must've noticed something.

We got up to the next level and, what do you know, it was another bar. No one sat at it though, they were all blocking the stairs to the next level, flipping their pokeballs over in their hands. To my surprise, none of them were Shadow. Talk about convient. Now all we had to do was battle them and leave.

But Duking had other ideas. Espeon and Umbreon were ready to battle, but he charged first, taking the man in front of the crowd around the waist and throwing him into the bar. The man hit the wooden counter, knocking into several unfinished drink before falling behind it. Team Cipher was so surprised that they didn't have time to prepare when he grabbed onto three more and did the same, clearing the counter and starting a pile behind it. I know they were hurt, but they wouldn't die from a bump to the head or a bruise on their back. So it was entertaining. Just a little bit.

The next couple of trainers tried to release their pokemon on him, but each and every one that so much as lifted a ball were knocked to the side or behind the counter. One that threw his had it knocked to the side and the trainer slammed into the ground. I guess the plusle-loving kid-friendly body builder was just as tough as he was soft.

Before we knew it, the room was cleared and Duking was starting upstairs. Wes and I exchanged looks before following. This guy was serious about getting his team back. That was alright. We needed a fast way to get past all these goons without wearing down our pokemon.

The next floor was actually the roof. That was a pleasant surprise because it was still raining and the wind was even stronger up here. I would've nearly fallen over if it weren't for Wes, who pressed his side against me protectively. It would've been a cute moment, but just then we saw Silva being dragged by pinioned arms into a room that had been ill-designed on top of the building. As he kicked and thrashed to be freed, two girls kept him in check by holding him firmly in place. Just when they had him in the building, a voice called us from behind.

"You're not going anywhere!" I wasn't able to turn around without Wes moving, so I glanced over my shoulder. Great, another Team Cipher Peon. He was holding out a pokeball, ready to battle. "If you want to go in there, you'll have to get past me!" Duking grunted loudly even though it sounded like a chuckle over the roaring winds.

"Go!" he shouted to us. "If you don't save Silva and Plusle, I won't be as nice as I was down there!" I swallowed. That was him being nice?

"We'll see!" Wes shouted back. He pressed closer to me and the two of us started towards the building. The doors had been left open, so we quickly scrambled inside. Silva was lying on the ground, arms behind his back, as two girls looked down on him with scolding eyes.

The girl on his right had maroon hair and a body much like the purple power ranger we had seen on the first floor. Her nails weren't painted, but she had a tattoo across her collar bones that read 'NEVER ALONE.' She had tied a scarf around her waist to cover the sections of her torso that her shirt was too short to mask. Her smile was smug and her eyes were scathing. As I watched, she spoke to Silva like she was an evil godmother.

"What made you think you could simply waltz in here?" she snickered. "Such a silly boy!"

"Where's Miror B?!" Silva shouted. "I'm taking him down!" It was a struggle to get to a sitting position, and when he did, the other girl just knocked him back down.

"Take him down?" the other girl laughed. Her purple hair was frizzy and stuck up at odd angles in every direction. She had a jumpsuit on as well, but hers showed almost her whole thigh. She smiled, revealing a golden tooth on the right side. She crossed her arms, bulky gloves nearly soaked to the core with rainwater. "After that beating you just took? That's too funny!" She leaned her head back and laughed.

She noticed us enter. "It looks like we're getting a lot of unexpected company today." The other girl snickered.

"I see. Are you here for this runt, or the plusle that Yanma took off with?" Her words were sharp.

"Both!" I said, holding the feather in my hand. "We'll start by taking you two apart!"

"Hm," the first girl said. "A weapon and no pokeballs? It appears we've got a special someone. You wouldn't be the girl who can see Shadow Pokemon, are you?"

"I think she is," the second woman said before I could reply. "So fiesty. What are you going to do with that? Wounding Dack was just an accident wasn't it?" She started to laugh, but that came to an abrupt end when I jumped forward and slashed my blade downwards. She narrowly escaped the attack. A single lock of her hair fell to my feet.

Now I had their full attention.

"It looks like we've hit a nerve, Reath," the purple-haired criminal spoke. "What, did you not like harming Dack?"

"You're friend had what was coming." I repositioned my stance. "You two are nothing different! Stealing pokemon is a crime, and I won't have you two go around laughing about it!" Wes watched from behind, waiting for his chance.

"Ohh, it's stealing pokemon that makes you angry." Reath flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Well, you can't blame us for that. Nore's lame excuse for a pokemon took off with Plusle. I'm not even sure where the damned thing went."

"You're lying!"

"I am not! Tell her, Ferma!" Ferma glared.

"It's true, kid. Nore's yanma is an idiot and a half. It can't take orders from anyone. Even if we did see it, the thing wouldn't listen to us. That's your problem, not ours!" I didn't believe it. Or, I didn't want to believe it. Duking loved his Plusle, we can't have lost it as easily as that. They have to know where it is. I lifted my blade again.

"They're telling the truth, Rui!" Silva shouted. Wes had just untie him and helped him to his feet. "They don't have Plusle. We have to get her on our own."

"Such a smart boy." Reath mocked. "Now why don't you go ahead and leave before we cream the both of you?" They took out two pokeballs in unison.

"I know you both have Shadow Pokemon," I hissed. "Tell me where the machine that makes them is!" They paused. For the first time, they looked dumbfounded.

"Machine…?" Ferma rubbed the back of her neck. "Shadow Pokemon come from a machine? That's not near as cool as I thought. Who told you we had a machine here?"

"She probably heard it from one of the higher ranks," Reath guessed. "We're not allowed to know about where they come from or how they're made, kiddies. We don't have any clue what you're talking about." They held up their pokeballs. "But we will know what to say when we beat the both of you!"

Like I had seen before, both of their pokemon were Shadow. I had already exposed them, so when both remoraid and mantine hit the battlefield, Wes had thrown the Snag Balls and captured both of them. The look on the goons' faces: priceless.

"Should've thought about carrying things other than Shadows," Ferma muttered. "This would've happened to us eventually."

"Make a run for it!" Reath shouted, grabbing her partner by the wrist and bolting. "We messed up! We messed up bad!" They vanished out into the storm, hidden almost immediately by the darkness and rain.

"Silva? Plusle?" Duking emerged just as they had left. He didn't appear to be harmed or wounded, just a bit exhausted.

"I'm fine," Silva said. "But Plusle is still gone." The bodybuilder took the young boy into his arms and squeezed. Silva seemed to be used to it, judging by how instead of showing he was in pain, he instead tried to hug him back. Good, I thought. As least we got one back.

"Hellooo! We meet again kiddies!" On the back wall behind Silva and I, an LED screen lit up. Appearing in flawless quality was Miror B, who had taken the time to prepare himself in a striking pose for us to gawk at. "I'll admit, I'm not too glad to see you've gotten your way into my base!"

"Where?!" Duking roared. "We've already cleared out this dump and you're nowhere to be seen! Where's my plusle?!" Silva looked ready to explain, but Miror B. took on another pose. This time, a Shadow yanma landed on his shoulder dropping a familiar plusle into his hands. She was limp and tired, almost like she was half asleep already.

"Yanma doesn't take kindly to people who he hasn't quite gotten along with," Miror B. explained, scratching the underside of his chin. The pokemon still dribbled drool out of the corner of his mouth, but now it looked a lot less threatening. "I happen to get along with any Shadow Pokemon no matter how mean! Plusle will come to love me in due time, I'm sure."

"Give her back!" Duking shouted. Ow, now he was beginning to hurt my ears. Wes and Silva looked to be thinking the same. "If you make her into a Shadow Pokemon I'll rip you apart limb by limb!"

"Oh, no need to be so mean! I'm not even going to run or hide from you this time!" He struck another pose. "If you want me, I'm in the cave nearby. I'll be waiting for you, my pretties!" The TV clicked and the picture of Miror B. died out.

Plusle Has Been Captured!

Duking Used Outrage!

It's Super Effective!

Silva Was Freed!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	8. Blood For Blood!

Chapter 8

Duking dropped to his knees. Silva followed, grasping his arms. They looked beaten and tired. Their breaths were heavy and they trembled as the adrenaline started to wear off. Wes dropped to a knee between them.

"You're both too tired to continue," he said. "Head back to the hotel. Wait for us there. We'll get Plusle." Silva was still panting. Duking opened one eye at Wes. I wasn't sure if what was dripping off him more, rainwater or sweat. And I kinda didn't want to know.

"There's going to be more of them in there," he explained. "You can't just go in by yourself."

"Rui is coming with me." Duking sized me up and down. I tried to look menacing, but I was just a cute girl soaked in rainwater. If it wasn't for the blade that I had nearly chopped two girls in half with, I doubt I was look at all ready for battle. He knew what I could do with it already, so that was a plus.

"Fine," Duking breathed. "She seems capable of handling herself. You two make quite the team, if not a couple." My face flashed red. Wes didn't say anything, let alone respond to it. "Get Plusle and defeat Miror B, or else." He stood, helping Silva up as well. "We'll take our leave. The rest is up to you."

They started out the door, supporting each other over their shoulders. When the storm had swallowed them, I stepped up to Wes' side. He seemed to be lost in thought until he saw me.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Lead the way."

The storm was still raging. Once the rain and rain started hitting us, Wes put his side against mine, keeping me from tumbling over once again. Now my heart was racing. He was touching me, actually touching and helping me. We were real partners now, weren't we? If I wasn't being pelted by rain and blinded by thunder, it would've be a touch more romantic.

Duking had battled and beaten the man standing guard to the entrance to the cave that branched off the roof, so we were granted free entrance inside. Sweet relief, it was dry. There were a few droplets of water falling here and there, but other than that, it was clear.

We traveled onwards. It was quiet in the cave. The only sounds I could hear was our footsteps, the patter of rain outside, and our tired breathing. We were still dripping wet so we were trailing water behind us. Someone could probably follow the trail, but so far, it was empty. Not a single trainer was in sight. No trainers, no Team Cipher, no Shadow pokemon. Had they evacuated this when we broke in the other building? That couldn't be. They couldn't be that cowardly.

And they weren't.

"We figured you'd come." Wes and I stopped. The road forked into three different paths, but judging by how many Cipher Peons were guarding the center one, that was probably the way to Miror B. They each had a ball in their hands, strong Shadow pokemon just waiting to be unleashed. There were four of them, three boys and one girl. They must've been here for a while, for their clothes were covered in a thin layer of dirt.

"Get out," the girl said. "Miror B. doesn't have time for saps like you."

"Why don't you?" I shot right back. "I'm sure you're not any tougher than the rest of losers we've crossed already."

"Sassy," she said. Judging by the sword, you're not a trainer. How about you go run home? You're not going to be much use without-" I jabbed at her. She stepped back, but it wasn't far enough. If it wasn't for the large button that she had pinned on over the right side of her chest, she would've been impaled. The button, however, chipped and splintered. I pulled back and brought it over my right shoulder, but she had retreated. "You're more dangerous than I thought!" She tossed her ball, releasing a qwilfish. The others followed suit. Shadow Swablu, Meditite, and Dunsparce took the field.

"Wes," I called to him. "All of them." He nodded, face determined.

"Hey, if you're thinking of-" One of the boys took a step forward. He nearly walked right into my blade as I held the tip of his to his stomach. He swallowed. Hey, I was pretty scary now. I could tell by the look on their faces.

The sound of Wes capturing one of the Shadow Pokemon clicked behind me. One down, three to go. The boy furthest from me tried to move slowly to avoid being seen, but I was in front of him in an instant. Wow, this blade was so sharp that I could hear it whistling through the air whenever I moved.

Click. Click. He captured two more. Good. All that left was one, and there was no way these idiots were going to do anything.

Something sharp hit me in the back. Lights flashed in front of my eyes. The feeling of weightlessness hit me, but I refused to let my legs give out. I stood there, gritting my teeth. Warm blood started trickling down my back. That… damn dunsparce. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off it. Shadow Pokemon were bound to attack humans without reason. I had given it a reason.

I stuck my sword into the ground and held onto it tightly. My world was spinning. Which way was up? Oh god, I was going to be sick to my stomach. Were those trainers going to try and attack me now? No, it looked like they had bolted. At least I think. There were three still in front of me. No, two. Great, now my vision was failing.

I took a moment to breathe and felt myself falling forward onto the dirt. My scar stung suddenly, but it wasn't as bad as it had once been. I felt two warm fingers press to the side of my neck. Was I being checked if I was alive?

"Hold still!" I heard Wes shout. Had he said it more than one? Was that why he needed to say it so loudly, because I hadn't replied? Well, there wasn't much I could do to respond, so I clenched my fists to show him I heard. Whether he saw or not, I felt him peeling the jacket off me and tearing it up. Must've been using it for bandages, I guessed.

I took a deep breath and rested my cheek against the dirt. I was scared. Not of the wound, but of the sudden numbness to my surroundings. I couldn't see anything without lights flashing or fading in or out. My ears were ringing; if Wes was talking to me now, I couldn't hear it, even if he yelled. My limbs were tingling and my back ached, but I could feel Wes wrapping the makeshift bandages around my waist. Ow, he was tying them too tight. Don't complain, I told myself, it was to keep the blood in.

I thought I had only blinked, but I must've passed out because Wes was suddenly holding me in his arms. His lips were moving but I couldn't hear what he was saying. He looked worried, scared out of his mind, actually. He was still trying to speak, but even if I followed his lips, it didn't make sense.

"I'm… fine."

He stopped, surprised. I tried to smile. It worked: he finally looked relieved. He got in a more comfortable position and cradled my upper body against his chest. My back still hurt but the blood had stopped. I could feel my consciousness slowly begin to return. My head wasn't positioned comfortably until I turned it towards Wes and rested it my cheek against his chest. I considered moving it. It was too awkward for me. But there was one good reason to stay.

His heart was beating just as fast as mine.

I don't know how long we were there. We had left the hotel room at midnight, so it must've been early in the morning by now. I was in and out of sleep in Wes' arms. One moment I was asleep, the next my back spiked in pain and I was awake. Yet every time my eyes opened, Wes was still holding me and scanning the room for any sign of Team Cipher. He had moved the two of us against the back wall, where he leaned back to rest his body.

The cave was quiet the entire while. There were no sign of Team Cipher, Shadow Pokemon, or anything. Just the two of us as the storm raged outside. Now, as the sound of rain began to slow, my hearing started to return. I could hear Wes breathe and the sound of his boots as he shifted them against the dusty floor. My fingers, once numb, were beginning to warm. I could flex them now. But my body was still slow to respond. It'd take some effort to walk.

"I figured this is where I'd find you two." Miror B. stepped in the room in his funky heels and golden jumpsuit. He struck a pose. "Oh, did little sight seer get hurt?" Wes' reaction was immediate. He repositioned me so I was on the floor in the most gentle manner he could. I tried to meet eyes with him, but he had put on his goggles. He stood and held out his two pokeballs from which Espeon and Umbreon emerged. Both of them stood in front of their trainer, teeth bared.

Miror B. smiled, showing his golden teeth. "I suppose you and I will take this fight alone?"

"Where's the plusle."

"Oh? That darling thing?" Miror B. reached into his pocket and pulled out the electric pokemon. She was curled up into a ball but, thankfully, she looked like she was resting instead of being in pain. "It appears she is unable to become a Shadow Pokemon. I tried and I tried, but she is just too strong. Duking must be a better trainer than I thought."

"Give her back," Wes ordered. "Now."

"Give me the girl and we'll call it even."

"You're not getting her." Wes took out a Snag Ball and held it in front of him. Miror B. struck another pose.

"You won't be needing that yet. I have some friends willing to battle your pathetic excuse of a team." Like they had rehearsed it before, four ludicolo's broke free from Miror B's belt. They paused, waiting for the glow of their prison to wear off, then all started dancing in unison. Their trainer, posed in the center, started to dance as well. They were in sync with each other, feet matching the beat of imaginary music that played in the background. For an enemy, he was too stylish.

"You're pathetic," Wes said. "Espeon." He didn't need to mutter an attack, she lowered her chin and right away, all four ludicolo's were hit by confusion. Umbreon didn't know any multiple-hit moves, but he took out one of the smaller enemy pokemon with a bite to the arm. The pokemon swirled around on one foot, dazed, before falling to the floor in a heavy pile of fur and fat. The next largest pokemon swatted Umbreon aside when he tried to attack him. The dark pokemon hit the wall near me yet managed to land flawlessly.

"You're the one who's pathetic." I didn't see it myself, but while he was battling, Ludicolo number three had tried to sneak past Wes. Wes punched the pokemon in the face, knocking him back towards Miror B. The trainer pulled a few quick stunts before hopping over his injured pokemon. He returned to dancing, a wide smile on his lips. "Keep an eye on the girl, darling. You might just lose her."

I was worthless in a battle like this. He had already taken out one pokemon, but the other three were much stronger. It was like the first one was just a decoy to try and approach me. Now Wes had to play on defensive as well as offensive. I started to pull myself up.

"Stay there," my partner snapped. I froze. His goggles were still over his eyes but his jaw was clenched in an obvious scowl. "Don't move, I can handle this." He said it, but that didn't mean he believed it.

Espeon was thrown by another ludicolo. Mid flight, she flipped backwards and landed on her feet, hissing. She was nearby. I whistled softly to her. She heard and flicked her ears at me. I opened my mouth but my tongue was dry and my throat was parched. She tilted her head at me, confused. Damn, how was I going to tell her what I was thinking like this? I knew what to do but no way to tell her.

I was mulling over a plan until I felt two giant hands grab me by the arms and lift me to my feet. My back made a painful popping sound as the ludicolo Espeon failed to block ran past and lifted me up over his shoulder. It bolted back to Miror B, chanting a happy victory song on the way back. The psychic pokemon bit at his back but her mouth caught nothing but fur.

"Rui," Wes said, stepped forward to pursue. The Ciper Admin held up a hand for him to stay. He took another step in rebellion. Miror B. struck a pose that gave him the right position for the ludicolo to hand me over to him. He wasn't the slightest bit soft with me. It was like I was a sack of potatoes. Even though I couldn't see him now, it was obvious he wasn't going to attack.

"Good to see you've come to your senses," Miror B. laughed.

"Fight me like a man," Wes spat. "Dirty tricks will get you nowhere."

"I'm afraid that is false. I have the girl now, don't I?" He held out the plusle. "I'll be taking this as well. She'll make a fine experiment for my scientists." Wes grunted. "Stuck, are we? Well. That's your problem, darling. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be-"

He came to a sudden pause. The room went silent. The smile that once to be on the proud leaders face slowly, ever so slowly, faded to a surprised O shape. His eye twitched. The last ludicolo turned to him, confused. But it had been done.

I had cut the back of Miror B's legs with the sword he had carelessly left in my reach.

He didn't have much time before the wound bled out. He dropped me and the plusle on the ground, unable to carry either of us. His knee scraped against the cold floor as he bent down to try and retrieve us. It was in vain, for now I had the electric pokemon in one hand and a trembling sword in the other. The look of rage on his face was unexpected. He had lost.

He had lost bad.

"Good for nothing freak," he hissed, blowing bits of spittle on me. "You've won this round, but it's the only one you'll ever live to see." He lifted his hand, palm to the sky. The last minion of his raced over and lifted him over his shoulder. It was unusual for a pokemon to be so happy about his owner being wounded, but it was inevitable. While they took off out of the cave and down the stairs, the ludicolo danced and cheered the entire way.

Warm blood started seeping down my back again, soaking the bandages through. I stabbed my sword back in the ground and held myself up. I thought I was fine until I found myself on the dirt. One second Wes was above me, the next I was falling into a black abyss.

Dunsparce Used Cut!

Rui's Health Is Dangerously Low!

Rui Used Cut!

It's Super Effective!

Miror B. Fled!

Rui Fainted!


	9. Fateen The Spunky Healer!

Chapter 9

Where was I? Ugh, I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't feel my body either, but that was a blessing. That dunsparce had left me in so much pain that I was surprised that I hadn't fainted from it when Miror B. had thrown me over his shoulder like a doll.

Wait, was I still in that cave? C'mon, open your eyes, Rui. It's not that hard! But as I tried time and time again to open them, they were too heavy. It was like someone had taped them shut. I couldn't move my body to try and pry them open. I was stuck. Please not be in the cave, I prayed, please not be stuck in the-

"The bleeding's stopped and her vitals are back to normal." Someone was nearby. They were near my feet. Their voice was unfamiliar. Now I was beginning to get nervous. Was I alone with someone I didn't know? Maybe a Cipher Peon? "She reacted wonderfully to the medicine as well. She's quite the fighter, you don't see that very often here." Oh, so he's a doctor. Or I guessed.

"Dunsparce don't have poison, do they?" Duking? What was he doing here? Ok, so maybe I wasn't back in the cave. He would've definitely carried me out if he had come back to get me. Now that I thought about it, I wasn't lying on a cold floor. It was soft and warm, like a mattress. A bed, I was in a bed.

"We didn't find any traces of poison," the doctor spoke. "Either the dunsparce didn't inject her with it or she fought it off masterfully. I'm guessing the second option here."

"So she's a better healer than we thought." Silva sounded relieved. "Thank Arceus."

"Plus!" I heard the happy cheer of the familiar electric pokemon chant. "Plus! Sle! Plus! Sle!" Was she using helping hand? That wouldn't work on humans, but I liked the effort. If only I could open my eyes to see them or open my mouth to thank them. But I was as still as a statue. Ugh, how annoying. I wasn't comfortable whatsoever. The mattress was nice but the bandages around my waist were tight and my clothes were positioned wrong. My hair was still up in pigtails, though. That was nice. I wouldn't need to deal with it getting in my face all the time.

"Will you four be staying the night here?"

"Silva, Plusle, and I will be heading to the hotel for the time being." There was a pause. "What about you, Wes?"

"I'm staying." The group went silent.

"Plusle…" the electric pokemon said softly.

"We don't have any beds for you to sleep in," the doctor said softly. "All we have are the metal chairs. And there is no telling how long she'll be asleep. It could be a couple days for all we know. I'd recommend you go get some rest yourself."

"Without all due respect, I'd prefer to stay here." There was a pause. "I want to be there when she wakes up."

If they had me attached to a heart monitor, I'm pretty sure they'd see how hard it was beating against my chest. A metal chair didn't sound at all comfortable. How could he plan to go days in that thing? Certainly he didn't bring that many books with him. He'd probably be just sitting there with nothing to do. All that to be the first one to see me wake up?

Oddly enough… it made me happy.

"Alright, then. We're closing our doors for the night, so all of you heading for the hotel, if you'd please."

"Thanks, Doc," Silva said. "We'll be back in the morning."

"You're all great friends. Now, follow me."

I listened as the sound of their footsteps faded down a hallway. Once they were almost out of earshot, a metal door opened and closed. One of the pairs of feet started down a different hallway and vanished. Now it was just Wes and I in the room.

He had taken a seat to my left. I heard the ruffling of pages; he was taking out his book. But as time went on, he didn't turn a single page. It was like he was just sitting there, staring at it. Had he fallen asleep? Maybe that was the case.

A loud clattered followed. If I had the ability to jump from surprise, I would've. Damn, that was loud. Had someone knocked something over? It was loud, it must've been within the room. Had Wes fallen over on something?

"Dammit!" he hissed under his breath. I heard him shuffling around, like he was trying to pick something up. Judging by the noises, it wasn't an accident.

He had thrown his book, hard.

"Dammit, dammit!" he hissed. I heard him drop the book on the floor and sit back down. He ruffled his hair and grunted twice. What was he so upset about? Had Duking or Silva upset him somehow? That couldn't be it, those two had helped us so far into the hideout. Was it the fact that Miror B. had gotten away? That was probably it. He had the admin right where he wanted him and he had been too busy taking me back that he couldn't pursue him.

I tried to tell him it was ok, that we would catch him next time. But, duh, body wasn't working here. Still couldn't open my eyes, still couldn't move. The only thing I could control was my breathing. And even that was hard. It was much easier to put it on automatic and avoid not screwing myself over.

I was startled again when I felt Wes put his hands on the side of the bed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, clenching his fists. "I'm so sorry!" He punched the mattress. "I should've captured that stupid pokemon first. The others wouldn't have harmed you like that. I'm so damn stupid! This wouldn't have happened if I used my head!" He pushed off the bed and walked to the other side of the room. For a while, it was silent. He was still as stone, there was no telling what he was doing or thinking.

Was this what he was beating himself up over? He felt it was his fault I had gotten injured? It wasn't, I wanted to tell him. Stop being angry, I'm ok! I'll be fine! Don't beat yourself up anymore, please!

His footsteps started over to the side of my bed again. I thought he was going to punch it again or yell at himself, but he didn't seem to be angry anymore. He sighed to pull himself together. Then, I felt him take his hand in mine.

"This won't ever happen again. I'll protect you. From now on, you're not going to get hurt." He cupped his other hand over mine, squeezing it gently. "I promise." His hands were so warm. Had he taken off his gloves and the Snag Sleeve to do this? He must've, his grip was too soft to be covered by fabric. If only I could grab it back.

He must've been there for a while, because I remember him still holding me when I fell asleep.

How many days had it been? Definitely more than one, I knew that. The night before, the night where Wes held my hand and told me he'd protect me, was cold and quiet. When I woke up, it was warm. People were moving about the hospital, only a few, but more than the night before. There must've been a window next to me. The smell of rain wafted into the room. I couldn't hear it, however. It was too hot to be raining, too. It had stopped. The storm had passed.

My fingers, thank Arceus, I could move my fingers. As I worked at moving them, my toes worked just as well with them. Now I could roll my arms and legs around the bed. They were heavy, but as the minutes rolled on, I was able to move. Oh, the sweet glory of being able to move again. My eyelids were much the same. Once heavy, as I worked them slowly open, the weight was lifted off them. I could move, open my eyes, and finally, slowly sit up.

Wow. I expected to be in a nicer hospital, but what else would you expect from Pyrite town? The floors, walls, and ceiling was dented and rusted metal. Some rooms outside my own had graffiti on the inside. The inside. Talk about some rebellious patients. And the medical equipment, how did those things still work? The blood pressure cuff they had on me read 1000/256. Like, really? At least the beds were clean. That was probably because there was a code against having dirty beds in hospitals.

Wes was sitting in the metal chair near the door, but he was fast asleep. His feet were extended away from the chair, one leg bent, the other out at an odd angle. His head was leaned all the way back against the wall. He looked funky because his mouth was wide open and his left arm was up over his eyes. He looked like a dork. But it was still cute, very cute.

He must've heard me shuffling, because he started to stir. Slowly, as to avoid being heard and seen, I lie back down and covered myself again, back to him. I was in a different position now, so when Wes came to, he was immediately awake. He walked over to me, peeking over to the other side of the bed to see if he was imagining it. But he wasn't. I opened my eyes at him, slowly for added effect.

His smile was gentle and genuine.

"Good morning," he said softly. "How do feel?" I blinked at him.

"Tired, to be honest." He walked over to the side of the bed and sat down.

"Not in pain?"

"No." I pulled the blankets off and looked down at the bandages they had wrapped me in. Luckily the dunsparce hadn't torn my belly shirt, or else I would've needed a whole new outfit entirely. The blood had destroyed my skirt and my boots altogether. I doubt they had any clothes stores here in Pyrite, so I was stuck with them until I could find some new clothes. The bandage on my stomach were spotless and clean, but when I looked to my back, it was scary to see how much blood was on there. Sure, it was dry and chapped, but it was a lot.

I caught the look of disappointment on Wes' face. He still blamed himself for this, didn't he? Well, he shouldn't be. I was just about to talk to him when Duking and Silva walked in the room, Plusle balancing herself on Duking's shoulder.

"Oh my god!" Silva nearly shouted. "You're awake?"

"Um, yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck. "How long was I out?" Silva darted over to the bed and hugged me. Ow, the squeezing hurt my back. But not enough so to make me tell him to stop. Just a little prickly pain.

"We brought you here about two days ago. The doctor said it'd take longer for you to wake up, but I guess not." Yeah, I heard that. But I wasn't going to tell them I heard anything, especially Wes. The thought of last night nearly made my heart start beating again. But who would notice? The heart monitor was just as broken as the blood pressure cuffs.

"Good to see ya awake, kiddo." Duking leaned to my height. Plusle jumped off his shoulder and landed on mine. She pecked my cheek and chirped in joy. Aw, she was so cute. How could anyone want to take her hostage and make her into a Shadow Pokemon? Then again, Miror B. had said she wasn't able to become one. How did that happen? "How's the back?"

"Better," I replied. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"Hm? I didn't bring you here." He turned to Wes. "This youngster nearly got hypothermia running all the way across town in the storm to get you here." Wes' face was expressionless. But deep down, I had a feeling he was trying to maintain the color of his cheeks. "They wanted to treat him, but he wouldn't leave your roo-"

"Plusle!" the tiny pokemon snapped. Obviously, she could tell that Duking was embarrassing him.

"Oh, right," he muttered.

"But anyway, you think you can walk?" Silva asked.

"Yeah, I think I can do that." I hung my legs over the side of the bed. Wes was there quickly, offering his hands out to me. I smiled at him and took both. As I started to my feet, he was sure to keep a firm hold on me, watching carefully to make sure I didn't fall over. Thank goodness, my legs were working just fine. A little weak and painful, but they worked. That's all there was to ask for.

"Oh, is Ms. Yurika up?" The doctor from the night before walked in. "Good to see you're awake. We didn't expect you this soon."

"She's a fighter!" Silva was excited. "That was what he said!" Man, this kid was happy to see me. I've only known him for a few days, the majority of which I was under for, but he still treated me like a close friend. It wasn't bad. It actually felt good to know that there were people in this town worth trusting.

"Yurika?" Duking repeated. "That's your last name?" Oh, no. Don't tell me.

"I was thinking the same thing," the doctor said. "Tell me, are you related to the elderly couple in Agate Village?" The room went silent, waiting for my reply. I wanted to lie and say, 'Haha, that's not how my name is pronounced!' but they'd know I was lying. Cat's out of the bag, I guessed.

"Yeah. I'm related to them." Wes' eyebrows came together. Duking, Silva, and Plusle got all excited.

"Wow! Why didn't tell us you were related to them?" Silva clapped his hands together. "I want to meet them! I want to meet them! Take me there sometime!" Yeah, no. That wasn't going to happen. Not anytime soon.

"But anyway," the doctor continued, flipping a paper over on his chart. "We just need to change your bandages, then you're free to go."

"Free to go?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, ma'am. You heal quick; it would be a shame to keep you here. When you've got quite the group of fans here waiting for you to leave." Well, that was better than I thought. "Let me get the nurse." He started out the room and took a left. "Oh, excuse me, ma'am."

"Not a problem. Thank you." A girl with stars printed on her circular glasses poked her head inside the room outside the door. She looked old and wrinkly, but he hair was startlingly pink for someone who was older than eighty. It was even done up in a flawless Princess Leia style. "I heard you are awake, young Yurika."

"Um, yeah. You can call me Rui."

"Right, right." She opened the door. On old feet and a heavy cane, the woman wandered into our room. I thought her pink hair was flashy, but her purple shirt and skirt were even brighter. She didn't seem to notice she was uninvited, she just sauntered into the room and approached me. She tapped my knees with the butt of her cane. "Good, good. Not falling over I see. Strong girl."

"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Silva started, "but who are you?" Without looking back to answer him, she took his hand and slipped a card into it. He read it with Duking looking by his side.

"Fateen the fortune teller. You may know me from around town, I make quite the cup of tea. Oh, and I'm an expert in unusual occurrences." She brought her cane up and pressed it between my eyes. "Ah, so this one does have the sight. I thought so." What? Did this grandma know I could see the Haze? "Correct, I know you can see the Haze." I shut off my thoughts the instant I realized she had read my mind.

"Fateen," Wes said, catching her attention. She saw him and her wrinkly lips pulled up into a smile.

"Ah, Wes. It has been quite a while. Where have you been?" She hit him right on the top of the head with her cane. He flinched slightly. "You exposed yourself too early! We don't know enough about these Shadow Pokemon! And handling explosives while indoors! Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

"W-w-wait, what?" Silva stammered. "What's she talking about-" Fateen hit him upside the head as well.

"Do not be rude, young man! Didn't your mother teach you not to speak when others are speaking?"

"Fateen," Wes said to distract her from Silva before she hit him again. He had one hand on me and the other to rub his head. "Please, they don't know anything about what's going on."

"I should hope so," the grandma snapped, pointing her cane at him. "Keep all this secret, you hear?"

"It's… it's a little too late for that now…" She turned to me and I instinctively put my hands on my head. Her eyes were glowing.

"Ah, Rui. How long have you been away?" I froze. "You should visit your grandparents. They'll be happier than anyone else to see that you're doing well." I took her words into consideration. It had been a while since I'd talked to them. "You." She pointed her cane at Wes. "Take this young lady to Agate Village! Your work in this town is done!" Wes nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

"Wait, can't we- OW!" Silva stepped backwards. "Stop that! It hurts!"

"What did I just tell you, youngster? Do not speak unless spoken to! And no, you shall not follow them there! They are the ones needed, not you. You two shall have your own destinies to fulfill soon, but not now!" Silva waited until she had finished speaking. Then, he pointed to himself in a questioning manner. "Yes, you may speak now."

"Destiny?" he asked. "What do we have to do?"

"You will know when the time comes. I can't just give away futures all willy nilly! That's blasphemy! You write your own destiny! I am just the one to sit by and judge you! Tis the true job of a psychic!" I didn't think that was the dictionary definition of psychic, but whatever. She seemed to know what she was talking about.

"Here we are, Ms. Yurika." The doctor walked into the room holding a fresh roll of bandages. In his other hand he had some ointment that must've been some sort of antibiotic.

"FOOL!" Fateen hit the doctor upside the head with her cane. In the confusion, he dropped both the roll of bandages and the ointment. She picked them up and tossed the antibiotic out the window. She pulled a container of some sort of purple sap that she set on the bed. "Only fools use factory-made medicine for someone as noble as the granddaughter of the Yurika's! Sit, child. Sit, sit!"

I didn't want to get hit by a cane, so I obeyed. She walked around to the other side of the bed, heels clicking loudly against the metal floor. With sturdy hands, she started unwrapping my bandages. She was rapid yet efficient at it.

"Hospitals are not at all better than homemade remedies!" Fateen snorted. "Applying expensive, fake, and slow-reacting remedies to patients, hah! You doctors make me laugh! When I was a kid, we didn't have any of these fancy places! No, we had a grandmother, in rare cases, two!" The last of the bandages got stuck on the wound on my back. She had to rip them off, which nearly made me scream if I hadn't covered my mouth. The doctor she had smacked upside the head stood.

"Ma'am, we can't have patients being treated by other-" he started.

"You stay out of this, young man!" she snapped. "I know her grandparents! She's nearly a grandchild of my own, yes she is!" She started applying the purple syrup to my back. What was once hot and throbbing was suddenly chilled and relaxed. I could finally take a full breath without my back hurting. "Look at this poor work! If I had been here sooner, she would've been up the moment I finished!" She waved her cane at the doctor. "Shame on you, making her sleep so long!"

Silva and Duking exchanged glances. Wes just put the heel of his palm to his forehead, obviously embarrassed. The doctor was at a loss of what to do. Good, I thought. I suddenly felt more comfortable with her working on me. She knew Grandma and Grandpa, too. That was a big bonus.

Only after my back had been covered with every last drop of that purple syrup did I truly feel much better. I wasn't tired nor did I ache. I could probably run now if I wanted to. Fateen started wrapping up my back. It wasn't too loose nor too tight, it was just comfortable and easy to move around in.

"There!" Fateen exclaimed, snipping the excess bandage and tucking it tight where it would hold. "You will be fully healed in the morn!"

"Um, thank you?" The doctor said as she handed him back the rest of the roll.

"You are most certainly welcome, you uneducated log!" she said, waving a cane at him. She looked back to me. "Rui, dear. I hope you do visit your grandparents. They'll be so proud of you. Toodles!" She then walked out of the room and down the hallway. I thought we'd seen the last of her until she yelled again. "Young lady! What do you think are you doing with that needle! Give me that! Give it right now!"

"You are discharged," the doctor said, nodding at us before starting out the door after her.

It was great. Now with this syrup on my back, it wasn't painful to walk. I was fully capable to make it all the way to the front door by myself yet Wes kept a protective hand on my shoulder. It crossed my mind to tell him I was fine but I decided it was better to let him do it. It might calm him a bit. Duking and Silva followed behind us, Plusle looking behind them to catch sight of Fateen arguing with yet another doctor.

The doors to the hospital opened automatically for us. That was good. I didn't feel like having the boys open it for me. The smell of fresh rainwater washed over me. I stepped outside and the Pyrite Town I knew was gone. Well, not gone, but heavily changed. The buildings that had once been covered in grime and dirt were scraped clean by the rain. It looked like they had been scrubbed down and polished by heavyduty brushes. The sun shone on them brilliantly; I had to look away to avoid being blinded.

The street, once a barren wasteland of dirt and random patches of cement, was nothing but a trail of pristine stone. Sure, there were chunks that had been removed and pieces of sidewalk that had been shattered, but it was much better compared to what it had once been. So much better. Even the people looked cleaner. That was probably because they didn't have any place to live and had to stand out in the rain but whatever. They were much better now, that's all that mattered.

"Amazing, ain't it?" Duking said, nudging me with his massive shoulder. "There hasn't been a rainfall like that in ages. I'm surprised you two were around to see it."

"Pluuuusle!" The pokemon on his shoulder chanted.

"Even little one here is happy to see it." Duking met my eyes. "Thank you, Rui, for saving her. I don't want to know what they would've done to her if you hadn't been there in time."

"Yeah, thanks, Rui!" Silva came up and hugged me again, this time briefly. "You're the best! Come back into town when you can, alright? We want to see you again!" I smiled.

"I'll be back sooner or later," I promised.

"Good." Duking pat Silva on the head. "We better get back to the Colosseum, Silva. They're going to need help drying up the water."

"Right!" Silva met my eyes. "Be safe! Or else!" Then he started off towards the Colosseum, Duking on his tail. When he was halfway across town, he looked back and waved. Was… was he crying? "Don't worry about us! We'll be just fine!" Then, covering his face with his sleeve, he ran back towards the Colosseum. Duking rolled his eyes and followed, Plusle waving over his shoulder. We watched them go and vanish inside.

"Well, Agate's quite a ways away," Wes said. "We're going to need to get on the road now if we want to get there before dusk."

"Right." I tried to meet his gaze, but he looked away almost immediately. Eyes on his feet, he started off towards the bike. My impulsive side kicked in again. "Wait." I reached forward and grabbed his arm. He stopped. His hand was limp in mine. Even though it was obvious I wanted to talk to him, he wouldn't face me.

For a while, I waited for him to face me, and he waited for me to let go. He was stubborn. He wouldn't back to me for quite a while. I was sorta glad for that, though. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to tell him. There was no chance I was going to bring up that I heard him everything he said when he thought I was asleep. No, that wasn't going to fly. Then what was I going to say? Great, I had put myself in a position where I'd end up embarrassing myself.

He turned to me, eyes to the left. "Is there something-"

I raced forward and wrapped my arms around him. He stumbled back on his feet a short ways. He was so surprised, he forgot to breathe until we came to a stop. His arms were hovering above my body, frozen in place.

"I'm so glad you're ok," I whispered. "You took on all those pokemon when I couldn't, and you still carried me all the way to the hospital." I couldn't see his expression, but I could hear his heart as it started beating frantically. I inched closer, pressing my entire body up against him and resting my hands on his back. "I know you're upset that I got hurt. But it's ok. I'm ok, and I'll be just fine. I just don't want you to feel like it's your fault."

There was a pause. I thought he was just going to wait until I released him to talk, so I started to pull away. That's when he quickly wrapped his arms around me and held me close, too. Now I was certain he could feel my heart beating against his.

"I've put you in danger so many times," he said softly. "You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to. You can choose to stay with your grandparents where it's safe-"

"No," I interrupted. I nestled my cheek a little closer to his chest. "I want to stay with you." He paused, then sighed. He wrapped his arms around me a little further.

"If you're sure…"

For a while, we just stood there, holding each other. This is what it felt to like someone. The swirling in my chest, the warmth, the feeling of being safe in his arms… I didn't ever want to let go. He didn't want to either, because I had to be the one to pull away. His eyes were gleaming softly.

"You're going to ride in front," he said. "In case you can't hold on, I want to be able to catch you." I smiled.

"Okay!" He smiled just as wide. God, he was so handsome. So cute, so handsome, so sweet and protective. What was there not to like about him? Nothing, that's what. I liked him more than anyone else I'd ever known. And you know what, that was just fine.

Because I knew he liked me, too.

Rui Was Revived!

Fateen Used Healing Hands!

Rui Is Fully Healed!

Wes And Rui Have Fallen In Love!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	10. Grateful Grandparents And Strong Shadows

Chapter 10

Wes went only slightly slower than he did the other times he drove the bike. That was probably because I was sitting in front of him. I'll admit, it was unbelievably comfortable leaning back against Wes. From time to time he'd wrap an arm around me to make sure I wasn't falling off. It was unnecessary but relaxing. Espeon and Umbreon were looking on from the sidecar, laughing to each other secretly. Wes noticed but just rolled his eyes and continued.

I thought the rain had only hit Pyrite Town, but it turns out that the rain hit a much larger area than that. The desert for a what I guessed was a whole fifteen miles was drenched in nothing but rain. Not a single grain of sand was left untouched by the storm. In lower areas, the water puddled. Woopers and mudkips splashed about happily in these areas, laughing gleefully. On the other hand, disappointed sand pokemon sat on the banks of these, scowling. As Wes flew past, two sandiles and trapinch bit at the bike. Espeon knocked them backwards with a wave of confusion. As we disappointed in the distance, I heard them shouting in protest.

By the time the muddy regions of Orre started fading behind us, a lush prairie greeted us. The wind rolled over the emerald blades like waves. Where there wasn't grass there were flowers. It had to have been weeks since I'd seen grass. Ever since I'd been camping out at Outskirt Sand since the walk from Kanto, I didn't think I'd see grass anytime soon. I would've started traveling up here eventually when I got bored of southeaster Orre, but it would've taken longer. Much longer. And the desert was something I didn't like crossing on foot. Now that it was was laid out before me, it was better than I imagined.

It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. And for the first time in the longest while I'd known, there was someone beside me. Company, that's Wes had called it. Were we friends now? Only time would tell. Eventually.

Wes revved the engine. The bike took off even faster, kicking up flowers in its wake. The smell of soil and grass mixed with the scent of river water washed over us. Just as quickly as it had appeared, a river crossed our path. Wes only had to slightly adjust so we could travel beside it. Espeon and Umbreon looked over the edge of their sidecar where their sparkling reflections greeted them. They smiled and showed teeth as if there were pieces of food stuck in them they were trying to spot.

Now the terrain was getting a little rougher. Wes had to time when he could go fast or risk hitting the side of a taller hill. He swerved here and there to avoid rocky outcropping covered in grass until the plains opened up again.

There it was: Agate Village. It had been built right on a ragged island in the middle of a large lake, connected to land only by an old wooden bridge. We stopped right in front of it. Good thing he didn't pull closer because it would've been quite the ways down the water. There was no sand, just a short drop off to the water than a startlingly long way down to the lake floor. I doubt anyone had ever made it to see the bottom.

Espeon and Umbreon jumped off first to look over the edge and lap at the clean water. While they fueled up, Wes carefully helped me off the bike. The ride had left me sore, but not enough to where I couldn't walk. I would be just fine.

But my grandparents, what would I say to them? It had been so long since I'd seen any of my family, why would I have to start here? More importantly, what would Wes think when he found out why I was here in Orre?

I watched him as he pet his two pokemon lovingly. They licked his cheeks and purred at his touch.

Maybe he'd understand. Maybe he wouldn't care what made me leave.

The bridge was long enough for Wes' bike to cross it easily, but he abstained from using it. It was big and loud, the last thing he wanted to disrupt the peace that sat over Agate Village like a thick fog.

We stepped onto the cool, damp grass of Agate Town. The air smelled fresh; I could finally get a full breath without having to force my lungs to suck in more. Everyone in my sight was either old or very old, each and every one with a pokemon hopping up by their sides. There were no baby or half-evolved pokemon. Only fully-evolved, heavily muscled yet gentle pokemon around. They padded beside their trainers chewing on berries or nudging them along. I even saw a blastoise helping an old woman reach an apple from a tree that was too tall for her to climb. Agate Village was the retirement home for Ace Trainers. It was so peaceful.

An old man bending over a cane was just about to stroll by until his mightyena saw us. At first he didn't know what was off about us. His nose worked to sniff the air. Then, his tongue lolled out of the corner of his mouth in a dopey smile. He barked at us.

"What is it, boy?" The mightyena barked again in my direction. The old man grunted and reached into his pocket, where he pulled out a pair of huge glasses before wiping them off with his shirt. They slipped down his face when he put them on. Then he adjusted them and saw Wes and I. "Oh my. Rui, is that you?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Are Grandma and Grandma in town?" I walked up to him, Wes a ways behind me. The old man blinked at the espeon on my shoulder.

"Oh my. I didn't think you'd have another pokemon with you after…" He glanced at Wes. "After the accident." My partner narrowed his eyes.

"She's not my pokemon. She's his." I stepped to the side. "Herald, this is Wes. Wes, Herald."

"Oh my. A boyfriend, too?"

"Nononono," I said quickly. "We just-" Wes held out his hand to interrupt me.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Herald took his hand and shook it.

"A firm grip, a noble stance. My, my! You've caught yourself quite the man, young lady! How long have you been gone? Six months?" He adjusted his glasses. "Or was it seven, I wonder…" Wes released his hand. "Anywho, your grandparents were terribly worried about you, Rui. They've had people searching Hoenn for the past week."

"Hoenn?" I asked. How far did they think I went? Hoenn is literally its own island. Did they expect me to swim across? "Nevermind that. Are they at home?"

"Yes. Haven't left for longer than a day in case you showed up." Ok, now I felt bad. I really worried them, didn't I? Wes was probably piecing together that I had run away by now. His expression was guarded but his eyes were still narrowed in thought. Great, now it felt like the hug I had given him that morning was for nothing.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later." I started across one of the many bridges in Agate. This time, Wes wasn't the one who didn't check to see if my partner was following me. I could hear him following. If he wasn't staring at me, trying to piece together what was going on, I didn't know what he was doing.

Agate was like Phenac in the fact that it was multi-leveled. However, unlike the Oasis City, this one had no straight paths. Everywhere we went we had to swerve around and cross bridges to find the stairs to the next level. It was confusing especially considering how much time had passed since I'd been here. Even though Wes was sure to know the way, he followed me. It was embarrassing. What a stupid way to avoid talking to him.

Finally. We were at the biggest house in the whole place. It was right on the top of the town, too. You couldn't miss it whether you'd been in Agate or not. Grandma and Grandpa's house was carved out of the giant trunk of what used to be a redwood tree. It was like walking up to an elven fortress. They had been in the town the longest, so it was only what they deserved.

I stopped at the door. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to face them? They'd more than likely be mad. More than that, they'd be disappointed. Oh, how I hated to see them disappointed. That was worse than upset, angry, or sad. Great, now I was psyching myself out of it.

"Rui?" I looked up from my feet. Grandpa Eagun had just opened the door to his house in preparation to leave. Instead, there was his missing granddaughter on his doorstep.

"Oh, um, hi." I said, waving weakly. He couldn't believe it. He had to think about the situation before realizing it wasn't a dream.

"Where have you been?" he asked, leaning in close to my face. His white beard mustache were neatly trimmed, just as always. He hadn't missed a single hair while he arranged them into that spiky fashion that made him look like a kung fu master. His breath smelled of fresh berries. I tried to lean back, but he would've just moved in closer. "Um, I was traveling."

"Traveling? By yourself?" He spotted Wes in the background. Then he said something that made my heart drop into my stomach.

"Wes, my boy! How long has it been?" Wes smiled.

"Too long, Eagun." Grandpa walked past me and gave the pokemon trainer a huge hug. I watched them both, pale in the face. What was happening? He knew Wes? How?

"Oh, is Wes here?" Grandma poked her head out the door. "Oh, and Rui, too? Wow, what a reunion." She walked out in her pink skirt and white turtle neck. "Give Grandma a hug, Rui. It's been so long since anyone has seen you!" She embraced me warmly. Usually Grandma Beluh wasn't too happy when I broke the rules. This was completely different from what I thought. My whole expectation of this scene was being turned upside down. I hugged her, my arms trembling. When she pulled away, she greeted me with a soft, wrinkly smile. "My, look at this darling Espeon! Is she yours?"

"No, honey," Eagun laughed, clapping Wes on the back. "That's Wes' right here!"

"And she's letting you carry her?" Espeon purred loud enough to hear and swished her tail happily. "Oh my, that smile! What a perfect friendship you two have!" Grandma's face was suddenly concerned. "We've been worried about you, little girl."

"Indeed we have," Eagun boomed, suddenly in my face again. I held up my hands and stepped back. He followed me. "What do you think you're doing? Traveling all the way to Orre, and for what? You could've been killed and we would've never known."

"Oh my. Look at the bandages on this one." Grandma pointed out the one thing I hated to them to see the most.

"Bandages?" He glared at me. I had no choice. Slowly, I turned my back on him so he could see what the bandages were hiding. I wasn't sure if there was any more blood on it or not, but he seemed to know that what had hit me nearly killed me. "A dunsparce," he snapped. "What were you doing, messing in a dunsparce den?!"

"It wasn't a den," Wes intervened. "Please, if we could speak inside." Eagun glared at me again.

"I suppose you brought my boy Wes to try and soften the fall when you came to see us," he snapped. "Or did he force you to come here when he saw that you were my granddaughter?"

"Um, what?"

"Neither, sir." Eagun looked to him again. Wes had a stern expression on his face. "I had no idea that Rui was your granddaughter. I knew you had one missing, but Rui and I met only by chance." He held the door open for him. "Please, after you."

I had never been glowered at more in my life than at the table right then in there. Wes was explaining everything to Grandma and Grandpa, but only Grandma seemed to be listening. She made eye contact with the capable trainer and nodded to show she was listening. Grandpa, on the other hand, sat on the opposite side of the table just to cross his arms and try to burn me to death with his blazing glare. What else was there to do while your family was doing that? I tried to smile, apologize, and look away, but he was adamant about staying like that. The whole story, fights, battles, action and all, he wouldn't budge.

He only looked away when Wes finally said that I could see Shadow Pokemon.

"What?!" He stood up, nearly toppling over the table. "You can't be serious?!"

"We have confirmed it," Wes said. "She's the only one we can rely on. The other one I've met was faithful to Team Snagem, and she went missing after the explosion."

"That means you can't ground her, Eagun," Grandma Beluh said, folding her hands on the table. "She's got to go out with Wes."

"I don't want Rui running away again!" Eagun boomed. "She's been gone for eight months! Eight months I tell you! Look how thin she is! How beaten up she is! How she's survived this long is nothing short of a miracle!" He slammed his hands down on the table. "How could you think to involve her in all this?"

"Now, Eagun. If you had been paying attention, you might've noticed that Rui wanted to join him from the start. Wes only agreed to have her join. Then they realized she could see Shadows."

"That's only putting the blame on me!" I nearly shouted. Eagun leaned across the table to better glare. He was so close that the table has leaning in my direction. I swallowed.

"Please, Eagun," Wes started. He pushed off the table and sat back down.

"She can't join us, Wes. She's too vulnerable." Wait. Us? Does that mean- "The mayor won't approve of someone her age assisting in Shadow Pokemon affairs. She is to stay here and never leave. That's final."

Beluh sighed. "You're so stubborn. Can't you see that young Rui is traveling with Wes?" She stroked Espeon, who was curled up in my lap. "Surely you can't ask for a more capable trainer than him?" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He was actually thinking about it.

"Are you guys in the same thing as Wes?" I asked her in a low voice, hoping not to disturb Grandpa. It worked.

"Yes, dear. We have been for quite a while." He picked up her cane and laid it across her lap. "Your father knew Wes before Eagun and I thought to start searching for a way to cure Shadow Pokemon. We didn't think to involve him in it until Team Snagem started showing interest in him. We had no choice but to trust him as a spy so we could get word on how Shadow Pokemon were made and how to capture them." She nodded at him. "It's a good thing, too. Young Wes accomplished almost everything we needed to get done."

"Then Team Cipher kicked in," Eagun mumbled. "Team Snagem were just researching and learning about Shadow Pokemon. Team Cipher were producing and strengthening them."

"So you guys are the head of the all the Shadow Pokemon stuff," I assumed.

"Bonding Shadows," Wes said softly. "The group name we decided on is called Bonding Shadows."

"Which she will not be a part of!" Eagun said again, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Eagun," Beluh sighed.

"I can assure you she is in safe hands."

"Obviously not!" He jabbed a finger at my bandages. "Look at this! All these wounds and she still refuses to pick up a pokeball!"

"Please, if you'd-"

"NO!" Eagun's face was red. "You shall not take her anywhere" He jabbed a finger at the able-bodied pokemon trainer. "Wes, you are to continue without her. She is in far too much trouble to even consider going out of the house, even for a pint of milk!"

Wes paused. He stood up, walked over to me, and helped me to my feet. Then, making the cutest begging face I had ever seen, put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me close. "Even if we're dating?"

Eagun's jaw dropped. Beluh covered her mouth, giggling. All the color drained from my face. Was he serious? Or was he trying to get Grandpa to let me go with him? Either way, the question took me by surprise. What the hell was going on with my life right now?

"Oh my," Grandma said with a smile. "What a coincidence! Fate must be on our side, Eagun. Your favorite granddaughter dating your favorite spy. What more could you hope to ask for?" Eagun was frozen solid.

"You… you've got to be kidding me." He put a hand over his eye. "Wes, you can't…. It's not… Argh! Why would you put me in a position like this?!"

The sound of wood hitting the floor startled me. As soon as I turned around a boy zipped past, nearly knocking me over. He looked a bit younger than me, maybe fifteen or sixteen. He was sweating and had small scratch marks on his face like he had ran straight through some shrubbery. He was in so much of a hurry that he had knocked down the door to Eagun's house.

"Eagun, it's a serious situation! Some outsiders went into Relic Forest!" Grandpa's expression changed entirely. "I tried to stop them but they had these weird pokemon that tried attacking me!"

"That's enough, boy." He turned to Wes. "Follow me, I'm going to need you."

"I'm coming with," I interrupted. He scowled at me, ready to protest, but he had no time.

"Fine." He whipped around the table and started out the door, Wes and I on his tail. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I checked to make sure my feather was still sheathed on my back. Thankfully, it still was. Espeon hopped up on my shoulder, ears twitching.

Relic Forest wasn't a simple walk away from Grandma and Grandpa's house. We had to go down almost every incline and across every bridge in the town, winding left and right to get to it. One would think that it would more than well hidden because of that, but apparently not. When we darted past the waterfall a hidden tunnel opened up to us. Grandpa ran straight through it, blindly running into the darkness like he could see through it. I could hear him enter yet as soon as I emerged into the light on the other side he was nowhere to be seen as cave continued onwards. There was, however, two Team Cipher Peons holding out their pokeballs to me.

"Old Man may have passed us up," the girl on the right said, "but you two are going to stay here and battle." She released a kirlia at the same time her male partner let out a baltoy.

"Umbreon," Wes called. The dark type jumped off his shoulder and bit the kirlia on the arm. She screeched and jumped backwards, but the eeveelution held tight. She ended up injuring herself more by throwing him around then actually taking the time to yank him off. Baltoy jumed in, prepared to use confuse ray. That's when Umbreon let go and the move instead hit Kirlia, who started stumbling around like a drunk.

"You idiot!" the girl snapped. "Aim for the umbreon, not my kirlia!"

"Get your stupid pokemon out of the way, then!" The boy waved his hand. "Baltoy, rapid spin, go!" His pokemon made a clicking noise before throwing his arms and giving himself the momentum to spin around like a dreidel. Umbreon waited, leaning down on his front paws and wagging his butt like a cat prepared to bounce. When the pokemon drew near, he hit the pokemon with the hardest feint attack he could manage. Baltoy stopped spinning and was thrown backwards into Kirlia, who had already fainted from hitting herself too many times.

We didn't even wait for them to process what had happened. We just ran past and deeper into the tunnel. It sloped downwards slightly so we were able to pick up speed until the brilliant exit at the bottom opened and swallowed us whole. I stopped to let my eyes adjust.

There was another power ranger, this one silver. He was slightly different the others. He had a slicker helmet and what looked like a fin branching off the forehead. His suit was clean and slick, almost like he was ready to race cars. He was taller than the other ones we had seen, thinner too. If anything, he looked more intimidating. Standing in front of him was my Grandpa and his pikachu.

His wounded, defeated pikachu.

"Hey!" I shouted, darting past Wes. The silver Cipher Peon watched me, bored, as I drew the skarmory feather and stepped between them. "Get away from my grandfather!" The silver peon smirked.

"Grandfather, huh? It's unusual to see a girl protecting an old champion." I bared my teeth. "Don't get angry at me. I beat the old man fair and square. It's only natural that you listen to me now."

"Never!" I pointed my weapon at him. "Leave! Now!"

"You don't scare me, Rui. Not with that wound." He knew my name. I was probably famous now that I'd beaten Miror B. "Why don't you get out of the way so your old man can tell me how this place works? I won't hurt you if you do." He took a step forward. I held firm. His smirk vanished. "I see how this is."

I didn't remember seeing a hitmontop next to him, but apparently I had missed it. When it leaped at me, I barely had enough time to retaliate. At the same time his kick landed on my stomach, his leg was graze by my metal blade. She didn't get enough time to harm me as much as she wanted. She jumped backwards and landed beside her master. Unable to stay up on both legs, she spun herself using the point on her head.

I dropped to my knee. Ow, ow, ow! She hadn't hit me hard enough to open the wound but the jolt had shaken me. Damn, how was I was worthless until I was healed, wasn't I? I should've watched my back. Then I wouldn't be in this mess!

Wes, goggles over his eyes, stepped between me and the hitmontop. It was faint, but the hitmontop flashed black. Wait, was it a Shadow Pokemon? How had I not noticed that before? It would've been useful a few moments ago. Was I losing my touch?

"It's a Shadow Pokemon," I told him. "The Haze is faint, but I can see it."

"Faint?" The silver trainer laughed. "You must be blind." He pointed at Wes when Espeon and Umbreon took the field. "Go, take them out in one hit."

Hitmontop cackled in reply. Her body tilted to the side and she took off in the direction she leaned. Espeon was barely able to dodge as it sped towards her like a tornado. The moment delay gave Wes enough time to prepare a Snag Ball. Hitmontop saw him throw it and jumped to her feet, a wild smile on her face. She willingly let the ball capture her. But after two shakes, she burst free, tearing the device in half like a piece of paper.

"You think you can capture her like that?!" he laughed. "Hitmontop is one of the best weapons of war there is. If you want her to go with you, you'll have to pry her ball out of my cold, dead fingers!" She held up her fists, red eyes ready for a battle.

"Umbreon, Espeon, get her HP in the red!" Wes portrayed no emotion as his eeveelutions darted forward, fur standing on end. When they started closing in from the sides, Hitmontop spun once, knocking the two of them different directions. Espeon fell into the shrubbery while Umbreon skidded to a stop against the stone path. Now Wes was starting to look concerned.

"Attack whoever you please, Hitmontop!" he laughed. "We control the field now!"

She laughed loudly before jumping back on her feet. Wes' pokemon were still trying to gather what was happening when she charged at him, laughing like a broken record. My partner held up his hands and braced from impact. Hitmontop took to the sky and brought her foot down, but it wasn't him she hit.

It was the edge of my blade.

She squealed like a dinosaur pokemon. It was the opposite foot that I had grazed when she tried to attack me, so now it pained her to stand either way she positioned herself. All her body weight had been put into that single move. Blood trickled between her toes.

"Rui," Wes whispered, surprised.

"Pokemon or not, I'm not letting you hurt anyone else!" I held the feather horizontally across my face. "I'm your opponent now, Shadow!"

Eagun And Beluh Found Rui!

Eagun Is Enraged!

Rui Challenges Hitmontop To Battle!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	11. Where There Is Shadow, There Is Light!

Chapter 11

"You've obviously never heard of legendary Team Cipher Peon Skrub!" the evil trainer introduced. "Pokemon fight against pokemon. Humans can't hope to keep up with them, let alone Shadows. Back out or I'll kill you, girl!"

"You can try," I hissed. For the first time, Skrub didn't seem to be so sure of his strategy. He shifted weight to one foot and rested his arm on the opposite side.

"Well, it'd be interesting to see how well you fare against her."

"You can't be serious," Wes whispered. "Rui-"

"Rui Yurika!" Grandpa boomed. "You get back here and out of the way this instant! Wes is perfectly capable of handling himself!" I refused to reply and held the sword out to my side to try and engage battle. Skrub saw that both of us were prepared to fight but he couldn't help but wait to see how my Eagun reacted to me battling. You could nearly hear him whistling like a teapot as his face flashed strawberry red behind me. "Don't you ignore me! I am your grandfather! Drop the sword and come here, young lady!"

"MAKE ME!" I shouted swiveling towards him. My knuckles turned white from the stress I put on the handle of the blade. My face was tight with rage. Wes blinked and backed away. I had somehow managed to scare him. Grandpa's face changed from furious to surprised. "I traveled all the way here by myself! If I can't take on a single pokemon by now, I'm a failure as a human!" I turned back to Skrub. "Don't slip up or I might just chop you in half."

He grinned. "I like your fire, Yurika." He spread his arms. "Hitmontop, quick attack." So what if his pokemon was fast? All I had to do was predict where she was bound to hit and hold up my blade. The fighting type thought I was so weak that he charged at me from the front.

Big mistake. It took half a second to hold up my blade and stop her from so much as touching me. Her leg made contact with the sharp edge of my blade again. She screamed and jumped backwards just to fall on the ground and press her stubby hands against the wound I had dealt. Her throat was suddenly hoarse from screeching.

Skrub paused. "Don't be an idiot, Hitmontop. Hit her. Knock her out. Kill her! Just don't lose to a human, for the love of Arceus!" It took a moment of recovery and a few deep breaths, but soon enough, she was on her feet again. Her red eyes were twitching from the sharp pain that still stung her legs. She wasn't going to use those anymore. It was either the point on her head or her hands that were next.

She whipped her arms around and flipped upside down. Back to a dreidel, I thought. It was going to be harder to predict her movements now. I held the blade up in front of me. Just as soon as she darted off, leaving a trail of upturned soil behind her, I spun in the circle, blade out in front of me.

Lucky hit. My blade hit her waist right before she head butt me backwards. Thank god I had moved slightly or else I might've just gotten the point of her head through my chest. When I landed on my back I rolled over my shoulder and stabbed my blade into the ground to support me. I considered pulling it up to defend me from another attack, but it was unnecessary.

Hitmontop had fainted.

Just as quickly as Skrub had come to realize his defeat Wes had captured her. The silver power ranger was frozen in shock. It was like he had couldn't believe what he had seen.

"But… Celebi… I was supposed to capture her." He put a hand on his forehead. "Hitmontop… she was supposed to… she shouldn't have been beaten! All that research, all those hours spent training… how could she have lo-"

"Leave!" I shouted in a terrifying screech. "Get out before I make you!" He snapped to, stepped back, looked left and right, then darted back through the tunnel. You could hear him yelling at any other peons to run for their lives. A few footsteps sounded before they quickly disappeared.

Using my sword as a cane, I heaved myself to my feet. I took one moment to pause and feel for any sign that my wound had opened. Now I was sure that purple syrup Fateen had applied had made me invincible. I tugged the skarmory feather out of the dirt and whipped towards the two boys.

Grandpa had dropped to his knees, both hands on the side of his head. Wes looked just as surprised. When I met his gaze, he slowly slipped his goggles back into his hair. His golden eyes were unblinking.

"Here, they're inside Relic Forest!" The boy that had burst into my grandparents house to inform him of the intruders was back, and he had brought several other ace trainers, including my Grandma. The first thing they saw when they entered was my grandfather on his knees, Pikachu fainted on the ground. Then they saw the wounded Umbreon and Espeon as they limped back to Wes so they could return back to their pokeballs. Then they saw me, a pokemonless girl covered in bandages and dry blood holding the blade that had successfully down a fearless hitmontop.

"Did Rui…?" Grandma asked. "Did you chase them off, Rui?" I threw my sword out to the side, clearing any blood from it and returning it to its' sheath.

"Yes," I answered. "I defeated a Shadow Pokemon. Wes caught it." To support my words, I held up the Snag Ball that had dropped at my feet. They couldn't see it, but thin trickles of the Haze seeped through the cracks of it. It was hard even for me to see. How could such a powerful pokemon has such a faint Haze to it?

A shadow slowly started falling over the forest. All of us went quiet as it masked us in shade. The branches of the trees began to rustle. Pokemon in the bushes darted deeper into the woods where light was approaching. As it hit the leaves, the grass, and the bark of trees, what looked like dew started to shine. It was brilliant, almost blinding. It only became clear when the light enveloped us as well.

The forest had turned silver. Everything from the plant life to the stones and water was suddenly painted like chrome. The grass I was stood on had turned into a slab of platinum. Directly in front of me, gleaming the brightest out of the entire forest, was a statue that resembled a pile of uneven wheels. It was pulsing golden light, beckoning to me. I felt a warm breeze surrounding on the hand that held Hitmontop's ball, gently nudging me towards it.

I approached the strange statue. It pulsed faster. Instinct kicked in. Now my arm was raising the Snag Ball up to the shining monument. The warm breeze started lifting my clothes like I was standing on an air vent. It filled me with sudden strength, like I was waking from a restful slumber. That strength funneled from my chest and out my arm, where it entered the pokeball in a faucet of power. The Snag Ball was enveloped in a golden blaze.

A bright light flashed, and the Hitmontop had escaped from the ball. It dusted in my hand only to be carried away by the cold wind. As I watched, the pokemon's wounds healed, her tight stance relaxed, and the red in her eyes returned to blue. The light faded. The stone structure was still there but it had turned to mossy stone. The forest was back to green and brown but the power that had fallen over it still mingled in the air. Hitmontop however, was completely changed. She looked up from her feet and smiled at me.

"Montop," she whispered gratefully. I smiled back.

"You're welcome." Her face portrayed the look of a cured child. Without a single look back, she started off into the forest with her legs pumping as fast as she could make them. The forest trembled as she trotted through it, leaving us behind.

"She… she's...!" The sweaty teenager put his hands on the side of his head. Eagun was too shocked to speak. Grandma approached Wes and nudged him softly.

"Your belt, Wes. She's going to need it." He did as she said but said nothing. When I received all the Shadow Pokemon he had caught so far the forest automatically turned silver again. Instead of taking the pokemon one by one, I held the belt up to the monument and watched as every pokemon that had once been Shadow break free of their prison. The balls dusted and disappeared in the breeze as the light consumed each poor pokemon, breaking the seal that had been placed on them. One second there was a small army of Shadow before me, the next they were whispering their thanks to me and taking off after Hitmontop.

I dropped the belt at my feet. It had once been firm but now it was no stronger than a shoelace. Whatever power this monument had, it was powerful. There was something about… something alive. There was someone else there.

"You can show yourself," I called. "They're gone." I didn't see her approach nor did I expect her to actually do what I said, but she wanted to get a better look at me. She wanted to see for herself who had purified those Shadow Pokemon.

Celebi was hovering in front of my face, blinking curiously.

"Sweet Arceus!" Eagun gasped. "Celebi, is that really you?!" She blatantly ignored him to reach forward with her tiny hand to touch my nose. It tickled. I didn't fight her off, though. It wasn't exactly the right thing to do when the Time Travel Pokemon appeared before you.

Satisfied, she took back her hand. The antennae on her forehead twitched. She was still trying to figure out what I was. How she did it I don't know. But as she continued, it became clear that I was somehow passing what she needed to confirm.

The crowd behind me were trying not to move. Every time one of them took a breath that inflated their chest, she would glance over. Celebi a timid pokemon. I doubt she would've stuck around at all if any of them had taken a single step forward. Beluh watched us with a knowing smile while her husband and Wes were frozen stiff from the surprise.

"You're very bright." Celebi's voice was childish. She sounded more playful than surprised. "And by bright, I don't mean smart. Though I'm sure that's true, too." She hovered a bit closer. "Are you who I think you are?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," I replied. "I'm Rui."

"I know that," she said, pouting. "I want to know if you're the trainer of a certain pokemon, a dratini." My heart skipped a beat.

"Serenity?" I whispered. Celebi smiled.

"Yep. That's the one." She hovered backwards. "I figured as much. You came here searching for her, right? Well, you came to the right place. She's in Orre."

"Where is she?" I asked. "Why did she run away?" Celebi's face dropped.

"Rui, she didn't run away. Team Cipher has her." My heart dropped into my stomach. An aching pain seeped into my chest. "She's being controlled by Nascour. I don't have enough power to purify her, but you can."

"She's a Shadow Pokemon?" I asked. She nodded.

"They're using her to get Ho-oh." Her face turned worried. "I'm afraid even I can't reach her in the state she's fallen into. But even though I can't, you can. She'll listen to those who keep her captive, but she's bound to listen to you even more." She looked down at the sword I had in my hand. Tenderly, she reached out and took it from me. "I can't let you tear up pokemon with this, so I'm going to embed your light in the blade."

The feather glowed in her touch. The bloody blade I came to know was suddenly golden. It was even sharper now, but as Celebi ran her finger down the edge, it left behind no scar. Just a shimmering trail of light that flaked off and disappeared into the air like a firefly. "Whatever Shadow Pokemon you come across will be purified after a single cut. If you are to drop the blade, it will return to normal." She smiled softly. "Only the Light can wield such a brilliant blade."

"The Light," I repeated.

"Right." She placed the sword back in my hands. "But just as there is a Light, there must also be a Shadow. I leave it up to you to defeat him in battle." She put a warm hand on my forehead. "Can you do that, Rui?"

"Yes. But I thought Ho-oh was the Light Pokemon."

"According to the mayor, yes." She smiled. "I'm somewhat of a runner-up."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She is where she is needed," the pokemon answered simply. "Play your cards right and you might just run across her." She turned her back on me. "Team Cipher is at Mt. Battle. I'll make sure you guys can get in without too much trouble. I trust you know what to do."

"I do."

"Good." She giggled. "Stay bright, Rui." The forest flashed again. She was gone, along with the platinum woods and the stone statue. I was back to standing on grass, golden blade in hand.

"It's just as I thought," Grandma said. She stepped to me using her cane as a support. She couldn't have looked more proud. "You were right to run away, Rui. It was your destiny to have come here. Come, follow me. The rest of you are to stay here. Rui and I are to speak alone." No one spoke as she lead me back through the tunnel. Wes watched us go with guarded eyes.

"You had no idea?" Eagun asked. "Wes, you can't tell me you had absolutely no clue that Rui was the Light, right?"

"I had no idea," he replied. "When I met her, she was just a lost soul. I didn't want to involve her any of this because she looked so fragile and innocent. But she followed me everywhere and wouldn't leave. When she started getting hurt, I had no choice but to stay by her side and guard her. She could see the Haze, but I thought she was just like the scientist who could see it as well."

"Well that scientist is probably dead." Eagun got to his feet. "Only those with extreme passion in their hearts can hope to see something so evil and dark. Team Snagem probably thought they had eliminated the Light until Rui came along. It is no mystery why they tried to take her, they were trying to get rid of all their foes."

"Why did Celebi ask about a dratini?" Wes asked. "Was there something special about it?" Eagun sighed.

"I suppose it is time that you came to know the truth about young Rui." He clapped a hand on Wes' back. "You think you can handle a long story session?"

"Of course."

Rui Is Evolving!

Rui Has Turned Into The Light!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	12. Rui And Her Pink-Haired Friend!

Chapter 12

The townsfolk had left once they had an eyeful of what had happened and left the two trainers to their own affairs. Wes and Eagun had settled themselves down on the grass where they both sat criss cross. Espeon and Umbreon had been treated by some potions and berries, which they gnawed on at Wes' side. Eagun cleared his throat, drawing their attention.

"Rui grew up with my son in Saffron City, Kanto," he started. "She had a normal family and went to a normal school to get good grades just like anyone else. She had a few friends, but one in particular was her favorite, a little girl with pale pink hair. The two of them spent almost all their time together. Reading books, shopping, eating lunch together, and playing video games. They were almost a perfect match for each other. But there was one thing wrong with her friend: every pokemon was out to get her."

"Every one?" Wes asked. Eagun nodded.

"The pokemon that attacked her were not Shadow Pokemon. They were normal pokemon. Whether they were wild or trainer owned, there was not one that Rui's young friend could come near without being targeted. It made no sense to anyone why such a thing happened. The young girl was so delicate and kind and lived in a happy family where both parents were trainers. They tried everything, from therapy to pokemon professors, but no one could figure out how to stop the pokemon.

"Rui didn't like seeing her friend in pain. She was sick of running away whenever they came across a pokemon. So Rui, maybe when she was ten years old, stood up to a stray dratini that jumped at her friend. The instant the fire pokemon saw her, all the hostility disappeared, and the pokemon became her friend. Because it was her first partner, Serenity the dratini became Rui's honorary partner.

"Over a span of several years, Rui collected quite the collection of partners. All of the hostile beasts that had targeted his pink-haired friend were now hers to battle and play with. The majority of them she didn't even keep in pokeballs. They would just see her from time to time when passing by and spend a few days with her. It was no wonder why she was so popular in the pokemon community."

"Do you know why her friend was being attacked so much?" Wes asked. Eagun sighed.

"It was only a matter of time before the girl figured out why pokemon were afraid of her. She was a half pokemon, half human hybrid that had been created in the name of Team Rocket. When her parents realized this, they took her to Hoenn in hopes that she would be safer." He paused. "I had some other Ace Trainers report to me on what they found of her. It wasn't at all helpful."

"Dead?"

"No, she had run away. Just as Rui had done the few months before." Eagun spoke the last words in obvious pain.

"When you heard that her friend had run away, did you think Rui had gone with her?" Wes asked.

"No, if Rui had any communication with her friend, my comrades would've known."

"Then why did Rui run away?"

"That's where things took a twist," Eagun explained. "As soon as her friend left, Rui had a hard time making friends. Not only was it unusual for such a young girl to have so many pokemon, but it was hard to contain them. The random appearance of noisy or large pokemon during school hours made Rui an outcast. Though she tried time and time again to tell them to leave her alone, they refused.

"Eventually it got to the point where her parents had to lock the doors and bar the windows. The pokemon became aggressive and started to force their way to see Rui. She had to leave school and stay at home under permanent lockdown. But because she lived with her parents and brother, they had to do just the same.

"My son, his wife, and their son became angry as pokemon started tearing apart their home. Now they were the outcasts with a freak daughter. Their anger was taken out on Rui in the form of insults and sometimes violence. In the midst of all this, Serenity disappeared. Now that she no longer had any connection to her home, she ran away. She left everything that had her scent on it like clothes or items that might lead the pokemon to her. She picked up some clothes from a worn down store and nearly bathed herself in perfume before disappearing. Her family has not yet sent anyone to search for her. They informed us but demanded we not search for her. I'm afraid my son and his family will not take kindly to seeing her again."

Wes was quiet. Eagun noted his silence and continued. "Though Rui didn't know it, Beluh and I were determined to find her. The people of Agate are very informed of the workings of pokemon, surely if she came here we could find a cure to what pokemon loved about her most. It took my wife and I some searching, but we seemed to have found the reason why Rui is exceptionally gifted with bonding with pokemon."

"Is it because she hung around that friend of hers?" Wes asked softly.

"You are a smart young man, Wes. That is correct. The pink-haired girl whom young Rui was acquainted with was obviously not normal. Giovanni had made plans for her to become a killing machine, much unlike the pokemon that she shared heritage with. It turns out that just by being around her, Rui had inherited an ability as well. Hers wasn't to deter pokemon, however. It was to soothe them."

"Why haven't any pokemon followed her around like they used to in Saffron?"

"I don't doubt it was because Rui changed on her journey."

"Changed," Wes said like it was a statement and not a question.

"Yes. Rui had to do quite a quite a bit of growing up once she was on her own. Her heart probably changed for the worse without Serenity or her friend by her side. I half expected her to be a criminal by the time we finally found her. But why didn't she change, I wonder?" He asked the question but he already knew the answer. Wes narrowed his eyes at him. "You know this, my boy. What would possibly halt her decline to a heartless, pokemon-hating shell of her normal self?" Eagun poked Wes in the chest with his finger. "You."

"That's not right," Wes said. "I'm not really dating her, sir."

"Now, now. There's no need to lie. I see the sparkle in your eyes right now. Even if you're not dating, you can't convince me that you don't have even the slightest bit of longing for her." Wes decided not to protest further. He looked to the grass. His cheeks started reddening. "Wow. It's quite a sight to see the once stone heart of my friend melt at the thought of my granddaughter."

"It's…" Wes paused. "We have to deal with the Shadow Pokemon first. As soon as this is over, maybe."

"It's too late for that," Eagun laughed. "You're telling me that if Rui was to come up and asked you for a kiss you'd turn her down?" Wes' face was redder than a cherry. "Aha, I've never seen someone so in love in my life!" He ruffled his friends' hair. "Now I'm certain that she's safe. You wouldn't let anyone touch her without going through you. Why don't you act more like yourself when you're around her?"

"She wouldn't like me," Wes said quietly.

"Nonsense," Eagun laughed. "What, has she not shown any sign that she likes you?"

"Um…"

"So she has!"

"It was just a hug-"

"Just a hug, he says!" Eagun crossed his arms. "And I bet you'll say it was just an accident. Or was it after she got that nasty scar of hers?" Wes looked to the side. "You're a terrible liar, Wes. Now why don't you return the it?"

"Re-return it-"

"Yes, return it. When we get back to the house, greet her with a hug. If she doesn't hug you back, she doesn't like you back." There was a thoughtful pause.

"We don't ever speak of this again," he hissed.

"Scout's honor." The grandfather helped him to his feet. "By the way, if you break her heart, I'm obligated to break every bone in your body."

"That's… only fair, I assume."

Wes Is Infatuated!

Eagun Used Flatter!

Wes Is Nervous!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	13. Skarmory Tails And Brownie Smears!

Chapter 13

"So you're the Light, huh?" Grandma chuckled at her own words. "I never would've thought that my own granddaughter would be someone so important." I followed her into the cave but instead of walking right back into the town, we took a detour down a dark path that would've been completely hidden if she hadn't walked into it.

I power walked after her. She must've had night vision because I was holding my hands out in front of me in pitch black darkness. I nearly screamed when I felt her hand grab mine. "No, no! Not that way." She tugged me to the right. "Ah, there you go. Hold on tight, dear!" We continued through the tunnel. Surprisingly, my feet didn't catch on anything as we continued. I was afraid they were without being able to see them, but it turned out we were just walking on smooth stone.

The cave finally opened up the the outside. Wow, I'd never seen such a beautiful waterfall before. It was almost too misty to see at the bottom, but straight up, you could see it fall gracefully over the side of a wide cliff. Pokemon were perched on the ledges like vaporeon and psyduck and a few marill to try and reach the source at the top. At the bottom, a lake was sprawled out in front of us. Masquerain and surskits were on the surface was stantler sipped on the beaches. Under the clear surface you could see jellicent, huntail, and shellder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Grandma's words took me by surprise. "You'll have to keep things like this in mind whenever you feel like you're trapped. It might make quite the difference."

"Why should I keep this in mind?" I asked.

"You're the Light, dear. You need a good reason to keep going, even when it seems all hope is lost." She poked the surface of the water with her cane, startling a group of tympoles. "The Light is the only human in this region, maybe even planet, who can calm even the nastiest pokemon. Ho-oh is much the same, but her powers work more on humans. She can purify Shadows, yes, but only you can get the really bad pokemon."

"What really bad pokemon are out there?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, sweetheart." Grandma's smiled faded. "But if Celebi thought it was the right time for you to shine, then there must be some pretty powerful ones to face."

"Why did Snagem take Serenity?" Beluh sighed through her nose.

"I don't know that, either, I'm afraid. I'm sure there's a reason behind taking a poke from a girl that lives so awfully far away, but that reason escapes me. They still have no clue you are the Light either, so that can't be why." I turned the golden feather over in my hands. "Are you liking the feel of that blade?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It's light and comfortable in my hands. You said if I let go of it, it turns back to just an ordinary feather?" She nodded. To test it, I dropped the blade on the grass. She was right. Before it even hit the ground it was back to normal. I picked it back up, igniting the golden aura that still clung to it.

"There was a Light like you once," Grandma remembered. "A young man with great ambitions."

"Another one?"

"Yes, but he was not quite as powerful as you. As time went on, he wanted more and more power. But he couldn't get it through his own power. So he set out to find more. As time wore on, he became accustomed to darkness. He was no longer the Light, but the Shadow."

"Where's he now?"

"Hidden, dear. Hidden within the ranks of Team Cipher, I'd bet." She looked to the side. "He was once such a great young boy. What a tragedy."

"So all I have to do is purify pokemon, right?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Wes catches them, you purify them, then you set them free." She paused. "Where did you get that blade, Rui?"

"Wes gave it to me."

"He did? That easily?"

"What do you mean?" She walked over and examined the blade. Her old eyes worked hard from behind her tiny glasses. She stopped, surprised. "What? Is there something wrong with it?"

"No," she said. "Wes' initials are here. Wes Ashen Ledge. He had this blade for himself at one point." She looked closer. "My, he's never let anyone touch this, let alone use it before. You must be pretty important to him to bring this out of the box."

"What would he need a blade for? He's got two strong pokemon."

"Wes thought it was only fair that pokemon be protected by humans just as much as they protect us. Very few people think the same way here in Orre. They always rely on pokemon for protection." I turned it over in my hands.

"Why was this so important to him?"

"I believe there was a skarmory that he owned back in the day. A pet that he was raised with. When the bird grew too big and had to be released, she left him two feathers. One of them was stolen when he started working for Team Snagem. The other he decided to always keep on his person. It's the last memory he has of his first pokemon."

"The other was stolen, huh." I held mine up to the air. "Well, I'm not losing this one."

"Good. Wes wouldn't want it with anyone besides his girlfriend."

"Um, I'm not actually his-"

"Oh, not yet then." She laughed. "You two are so cute! Hopefully I'll live long enough to get some great grandkids." She started towards the exit, giggling into her hand. I was so surprised by what she said I didn't think to follow until she disappeared into the darkness. Then I snapped to and followed after her, face still red.

When we returned to the house, Wes and Grandpa had still not come back from the Celebi's altar. I told Grandma that we wouldn't be staying long enough to have a cup of tea but she waved me off and started up the pot anyways. The smell of pomegranate and earl grey filled the air. Oh, how I loved Grandma's tea. It'd probably been a year since I'd last had it.

"They'll be back soon, dear!" Grandma called from the kitchen. "Why don't you get some spare clothes from upstairs? I'm sure they'll still fit, you haven't changed a bit since you've been gone!"

"Oh, sure." I doubted the clothes I'd left here from a long time ago still fit. But if she's sure, then it must be true. Grandma Beluh was almost never wrong about anything. "Can you help me take off this cast?"

"You won't need me for that," she assured again. "Just throw those old clothes on the bed, I'll try and fix them up!" Well, if she was sure…

I started up the stairs and into their room. It was clean and pristine, just as always. They had a walk in closet, but the bottom bar was filled with my clothes rather than theirs. I pulled out a cute outfit and came to the realization that Beluh was right: these clothes would fit me just fine. It had been so long since I'd had a selection to choose from for an outfit. It'd take me a while to pick one, so I'd better take off the bandages first.

It started out as a pain. It was too hard to reach the end of my cast. So I grabbed scissors from Grandma's sewing desk and started cutting off the front. Yuck, only one day on and it already smelt like sweat and dried blood. With a little bit of cutting and even more jiggling around the blade, it was off.

What. The wound was completely gone. And by gone, I mean, like it had never existed. There was no scar, no blood, just new, spotless flesh. No wonder she'd said that I wouldn't need her help. Purifying all those pokemon and becoming the Light must've done this. She knew more about this than she'd like to admit.

After it had been removed and the rest of my clothes thrown on the bed, I heard Wes and Grandpa enter from downstairs.

"Ah, that's what I love to smell when I get home!" Eagun boomed. "The smell of tea and a fresh batch of brownies!" Was she making brownies, too? Wow, we were really lucky to be here. From his spot at the front door, Wes glanced around the room. Eagun clapped him on the back and leaned in close. "Don't worry, lad. Your girl is probably getting all freshened up in our room." Then, inhaling the air like a drug, the old man took a seat on an armchair next to the couch. "Take a seat. No use in standing there like an idiot."

"Right…" Wes mumbled. When he took a seat next to the old man, Grandma came out with fresh tea and brownies. She set it on the coffee table, slapping Eagun's hand when he reached for them.

"Hot!" she scolded. "Touch anything and you'll burn yourself." Then she too sat down in the armchair to Eagun's left. She was just about to make conversation when my head poked down from upstairs. "Come on down, sweetie. There's nothing to be afraid of." Yes there was: embarrassment. I hadn't worn these clothes since my girly phase. There was a high chance Wes would think I looked like a loser. "C'mon now, your food is getting cold!"

"Fine." I started down the stairs. When I was at the bottom I blushed and turned to the left. My hair had been done up with ribbons to support my messy pigtails. Those pigtails were attached to each other, the ribbon tied in a bow on the top of my head. My jacket was black with pink, feathery fuzz around the sleeves and rims. I left the jacket open to show an old shirt with the picture of all starter pokemon steam pressed on, my name drawn in curly letters in the corner. Where there had once been elastic on my skirt there was now a pink plaid belt that had a few pokemon keychains jingling off the side. The skirt itself was a slightly darker pink than the rest of the outfit, but it was just as cute. I had some flat shoes on with red fish net tights underneath.

I turned to Grandma and Grandpa, ready to tell them that I looked stupid, but Wes changed my mind. For the first time ever, he was looking at me with rosy red cheeks. He was trying desperately to cover it up, but a smile was breaking through as well.

He really liked what I was wearing. I thought it was going to sit there like an idiot, but he actually got up and walked over to me. He was standing so close that I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. Then, without warning, he leaned forward and hugged me. I couldn't help it, I hugged him back.

Eagun set his hand on top of Beluh's. They exchanged a loving glance. Is this what they were like when they were younger? Red and shaky whenever they held each other? Because that's what I felt now. But Wes was warm, so very warm. I wondered if I felt the same to him. I wondered if he wanted to stay there forever, just as much as I wanted to.  
"Now, now you two." I had been in his arms for long I didn't even realize how much time had passed. Grandma and Grandpa were eating the brownies and sipping their tea. "Come get some food before bed."

"Bed?" I pulled away. It was already night outside. It wasn't any surprise. Wes and I hadn't gotten here until late in the day, and the majority of it was me purifying pokemon and dealing with Team Cipher.

"Yes, bed." Grandma had already pulled out a plate and set some brownies on it. She handed them to Wes and gave me two mugs of steaming tea. "In fact, why don't you eat those in the guest bedroom? That way you can get right to sleep as soon as you fall asleep." She ushered us towards the stairs. "Go, go! Sleep! I'll wake you when it's time to leave in the morning."

"Oh, ok." I smiled. "Thanks Grandma. Thanks Grandpa."

"Feh," Grandpa muttered. Apparently, he still wasn't too happy with the idea that I wasn't grounded anymore. Beluh just smiled at him

"Goodnight." We climbed the stairs and opened the room that was across from theirs. As soon as the door closed behind us, Eagun gave Beluh and angry look.

"You knew she was the light all along," he started. "How do you know everything? I've been around you fifty years and I still have no idea how you do it."

"It's not something you learn, Eagun," she started. "You get it from someone else. Like how Rui inherited her powers from Mewy."

"Whatever." He took a sip from his cup of tea. "I still think she shouldn't be allowed to leave… but I suppose with Wes, she'll be in good hands."

When Wes and I first entered the room, it was nice and comfortable. There was a window and a dozen gorgeous paintings on the wall of flowers and plants that Grandpa must've sketched in his free time. We had our own bathroom and a bed, but just one bed.

One that we had to share.

Like always, Wes was emotionless about it. He set the brownies down on the trunk near the feet and sat onto it, where he took off his gloves and Snag Sleeve and set them on the nightstand. He fell backwards on it and closed his eyes. I wasn't sure if he was enjoying it or just too tired to sit up anymore. Maybe it was both, I couldn't tell.

The brownies smelled really good, I didn't want to miss a chance at getting a few of those. I walked over and picked up a piece. Grandma was an amazing cook, this was bound to be wonderful. When the first bite was in my mouth, it melted. Oh, sweet ecstasy. There were peanut chunks in them! And she even put a bowl of whipped cream on the plate. Right when I dipped it in for another bite, Wes tugged my sleeve.

"Hm?" I asked. Instead of replying, he opened his mouth making that noise whenever the doctor tells you to open wide. I blinked at him. "Um, what are you doing?" He let go of my sleeve and pointed at his mouth, smiling slightly. I blushed. "Oh, um, ok." I got a better grip on the brownie and put the end of it in his mouth, which he bit down on. He took a few bites, happiness spread clearly on his face.

"So good…" he sighed. He sat up and held out his hand. I gave him the rest of the brownie. How rude, taking a piece from me when he very clearly had an entire plate of them next to him. What a- "Aaaaah." I blinked at him.

"Um, what?"

"Aaaah," he said with more emphasis, pointing to my mouth. I blushed. Did… did he want to feed me the piece I had just given him? I was so embarrassed that he prepared himself to do it again. That's when I opened my mouth and he gave me to remainder of the piece. It was weird. The brownie tasted even better when he fed it to me. He looked so cute while doing it, too; smile wide and everything. I didn't know this side of Wes existed.

It was no surprise when we both picked up our own piece of brownie, paused, then fed each other again. When the both of us had bitten off our piece, we waited for each other to chew then fed them the rest of the piece. It was so cute and cool that I found myself laughing mid-bite. Wes missed and smeared some of the brownie on my cheek by accident. The smile faded from his lips. It was like he thought he'd punched me upside the head.

"I'm-" he started, but I stopped him by smearing his brownie the same way he did to me.

There was a pause.

Then the both of us broke out laughing. It was so loud that Grandma and Grandpa could hear it from upstairs. Espeon and Umbreon broke free from their balls to jump on the bed with us. We hadn't stopped to wipe the chocolate from our faces so the two of them naturally started to take care of it themselves. It was so cute! There was no way I was going to stop them.

Wes had to get up, however. "I have to take a shower. You should probably change into some pajamas," he suggested. Aw, did I get dressed for nothing? "Don't look so disappointed. You'll be able to wear it tomorrow." Then, nodding at me, he grabbed a pair of identical clothes off a hook that hung from the bathroom door and closed it behind him.

I put my hands on my cheeks and smiled so wide that I thought my face would burst. He was so cute! I didn't think he could ever be this cute! Feeding him, then him feeding me, oh just the thought that it actually happened made my heart leap! Thank God I had followed him when we first met, we might actually be dating soon! I couldn't have been any more excited!

Espeon and Umbreon were smell the plate of brownies now, so I offered them each a piece. They took it and trotted up to the foot of the bed, where they slept curled into each other like a yin yang symbol. They were asleep almost instantly. Watching them be all cuddly and whatnot made me just as tired.

I leaned against my pillow. I'd get changed in just a sec. Just a quick nap before bed….

Wes was running a towel through his hair when he walked out back into the room. Regardless of telling her that she should've gotten something better to sleep in, Rui had fallen asleep so soundly that even when Wes sat down on the bed she didn't stir.

The shower had tired him. Now that he was in his sleep clothes, he wasn't willing to wait for her to get up and get dressed before he could fall asleep. So he pulled the covers over him as well as throwing half of them Rui's way. Umbreon and Espeon shifted at the foot of the bed to better fit him. He sighed. Finally, some rest.

The pokemon trainer was just about to fall asleep when two warm arms wrapped around him. He froze, thinking that she was just playing with him. She wasn't. Rui was instinctively hugging him in her sleep. He knew what was happening, he just didn't know what to do. Move and risk waking me? Or sit there and take it? He paused. Then, as slowly as he could, he turned around.

And pulled her close to him.

He was still trembling with joy when he finally fell asleep.

Rui Received The Golden Blade!

Rui Used Encore!

Wes Is Excited!

Rui Used Sleep Move!

It's Super Effective!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	14. Goodbyes, Heights, And Hellos!

Chapter 14

It was a lot warmer than I remembered. Usually when I went to sleep in my grandparents house, it was a lot colder at night. There'd be times as a kid they would come upstairs with heated blankets to keep me from shivering. But that night, I managed to stay warm. It was a mystery why, until I opened my eyes.

Wes was holding onto me. Hugging me. Like it was no big deal. He'd probably been there snuggling me all night? Why was I doing the same? Did I somehow sleep hug him? Did he sleep hug me? Oh my god, I was beginning to freak out. There had to be a way out of this without waking him. Maybe if I slowly wriggled my way out of it…

"Oh, you're awake, too." I froze. Now he was looking at me with his golden eyes. He had sensed the awkwardness of the situation but refused to acknowledge it. "Good morning." My face burst out dark red.

"Are you two awake?" Grandpa asked from outside, slowly opening the door. I full-on freaked out at the thought of him seeing me in bed with Wes. So I took the covered and rolled off the bed, painfully landing on the floor. That's when Eagun opened the door.

He wasn't quite sure of what to make of Wes, who sat on the bed with no covers, and me, who lie on the ground with all of them, pretending vainly the be asleep. Then, "You may be the light but you sure as hell are an idiot."

"I know…" I muttered, pulling myself to a sitting position. Great, I hadn't bothered to change. Now these clothes were all wrinkled and messy. I didn't want to change tho, not yet. These were the clothes that made Wes open up to me the first time, there was no way this was going anywhere any time soon.

"Quit messing around, grab some breakfast, and be on your way, the sun is just about to rise." He shut the door on the way out. Just about to rise? Jeez, my grandparents always got up way too early.

I stood up and Espeon jumped onto my shoulder, the skarmory feather in her mouth. When I took it from her it automatically filled the room with golden light before switching off into the shimmering blade. Umbreon was poking it with his paw now. Even though he tried poking the blade and running his arm down it, he sustained no injury. Only a trail of light that eventually faded was left behind.

"Not very helpful if you're going up against people, then?" Wes guessed. Wow, he was fast. I didn't even see him go into the restroom and come out changed. Umbreon took his rightful place on his shoulder.

"Not really, no." I slid it into my sheath. Even though it was encased in hard leather, the golden blade still shone brightly. "I can throw it at them maybe."

"You'll find a way," he said, opening the door. "Ready?"

Grandma had prepared us a filling meal that came first in comparison to the meal Wes had made me back in Phenac. Unlike Wes, she made all hers from her own ingredients. It tasted even better knowing that the entire meal was healthy for us. The berries were even picked out of one of Agate's farms. I was almost full when Grandma switched on the TV.

"Breaking news here from Mt. Battle!" the loud announcer spoke, slightly startling us. "It appears an elite team of trainers with unusual pokemon have infiltrated the inside, tossing aside and refusing to battle many well-known trainers in hopes of scaling all one-hundred steps by themselves. They are on the lookout for the Time Flute, a rare prize offered near the end of the road. Though they are not far in, they becoming hard to contain."

"Time Flute?" Grandpa rumbled. "That can't be good."

"Time Flute?" I asked quietly.

"It summons Celebi, even if she doesn't want to be summoned," Wes explained. "If we want Celebi safe, we're going to need to take that from Cipher before they can do anything with it." He stood. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Wait, wait! Give your grandparents a hug before you go this time." Grandma started forward. I gave her a hug. A genuine hug. Not the kind of hug where you're like 'Ugh just let me leave already,' but a hug that meant I'd be back for more. Grandpa didn't seem so keen on hugs. He just clapped Wes on the back and glared at me under his thick white eyebrows.

"If you make another bolt for it," he whispered, "you won't be let off so easy." Then he clapped me on the back and shoved us out the door. "Treat her well now, Wes my boy! If you hurt her, I might just have to kill you!" Then he slammed the door on us, laughter sounding from inside.

Well, that's one way to say goodbye.

"You have a fine set of grandparents," Wes said. "You should've told me they were looking for you. Even I know how worried they get about people close to them." We started walking down the paths. I didn't say anything and looked the other way. He acknowledged my silence by not asking any more.

Now I felt bad. I thought Wes was going to do something like try and pry me open and ask more about why I ran away. Oh, wait. He probably already knew from Grandpa. That's fine with me. I had a feeling hanging around that pink-haired friend of mine would turn out for the worst.

…

Well, it wasn't a total bust. I can help a lot of pokemon now, especially the ones who have been tortured and harmed by Cipher and Snagem. And I got to meet Wes. Maybe the best move here was to come right out and tell him everything that happened. No, he already knew it. What was the point? What was there to say? Ugh, I shouldn't have ignored him.

We stepped up to the bike. Umbreon and Espeon were just climbing into the seat when I started up to my own. I felt Wes put his hands on my waist like he was going to lift me up, but he paused right there. I waited for him patiently. What was he doing? Was he going to say something?

He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me from the back. His chin now resting on my shoulder, he hugged me softly. I froze where I stood as his two pokemon looked on, blinking in surprise. What was he doing? I was so confused as to white he was doing it.

"I don't know what it's like to run away from family." His voice was soft. I took my hands off the bike and looked down towards the ground as he continued. "I don't know what it's like to be treated as a different, either." He tightened his grip around me gently. "But if you're ever willing to talk about it, even a little bit, I'm always here to listen. To try and understand."

I couldn't help it. I leaned back into him and placed my hands on top of his.

"It's a long story…" I muttered.

"It's a long ride." Without waiting for a confirmation, he lifted me up onto the bike and hopped on in front of me. Now it was my turn to wrap my arms around him and hold on tight. He looked back at me, smiled, and then started up the engine. The village of Agate was left in our dust to the sound of the roaring machine.

I didn't know what he was thinking. When Wes told me I could explain everything on the way to Mt. Battle it must've been for dramatic effect because it was, and always has been, too loud to talk while riding the bike. Not only that, but only a few minutes after we left I could already see the towering mountain ahead of us. It wasn't so much a mountain as much as it was a volcano that was still jet black. It was pretty magnificent. The truly notable feature of it was that only one stream of lava came from it. A single, nearly thread-thin stream of lava that fell off the western side. I wondered why so little, but as my eyes followed it upwards the dark, almost ashy clouds masked it. Whatever was at the top was a mystery.

The road to Agate had been rolling with hills. The road to Mt. Battle was jagged rocks and sharp outcroppings. When Wes wasn't maneuvering left and right around the more dangerous stones, he was propelling the bike straight forward to quickly close the gap between him and the nearest straightaway. It was chaos. There wasn't one moment that I could hope to catch a break from hugging him.

The pokemon we crossed were a mix of fire and rock types. Slugma were definitely the most common. They weren't the type of pokemon who started quibbles whenever they came across different types. One that I saw openly crossed paths with a rhyhorn and, before the rock pokemon thought to attack him, the slugma just reduced himself to a lazy puddle of lava. Other times this happened to roggenrola, geodude, and aron, they simply continued on their way. The only pokemon that seemed iffed by it was a sassy larvitar who started punching the puddle before realizing her mistake and rolling around in the dirt.

The sun wasn't even it's highest in the sky when Wes started slowing down. Wow, from the base of the mountain, you could only see less of the top. The gates were placed between the sides of the start of a canyon I could only guess lead to the hollow inside. As soon as we got off the bike, Umbreon and Espeon were on our shoulders.

"You two!" a kid with ruffled hair approached us. "Trainers, right? They need your help! The first ten didn't stand a chance against the guy up there!"

"We're on it," I said pushing past him. Wes paused, surprised. I guess it wasn't like me to jump right into the fight with the sword in my hands. The sword had given me new hope. There was no way to hurt innocent people with this, so there wasn't much need to be careful. Either way, he was had to follow before I disappeared inside. He was just catching the lip of the door before I was at the front desk.

Wow, this place looked pretty fancy for being in the middle of a dusty, dangerous volcano. White walls, marble counters, and a janitor that must've worked endlessly to keep the pearl white floors clean. Besides him, the only other person in the room was the lady at the front desk, who paled at my sight. The golden sword, right. It must've given me the look of a serial killer.

"I'm here to help with whoever is causing trouble," I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was to have the cops called on me as well. She made an O shape with her mouth. Her fingers clicked at some panel she had against the counter and the door behind her opened. As soon as she opened the little slab that let us through Wes and I were outside. "Oh, shit."

Ok, so the ground floor outside the gates wasn't the ground floor on the inside. No, that floor was down, down, down so far below us that it was nearly enveloped by darkness. It was lighten up soon, the sun had yet to be directly above the volcano. Speaking of which, how was there supposed to be lava in here if the bottom is as dry and dusty as the Outskirt Sand? But then again, this volcano was huge. The stairs went further and forward up and into the giant crevices of the formation, anything was possible here.

"I just remembered how scared of heights I am," I said woefully. Saffron City wasn't on top of a mountain or anything. But as I grew up my class would take trips to the top of the Silph Co building. I vomited nearly every time I went there. Hopefully this wouldn't be the same.

"Are you two the police?" There was a single guy on the trembling platform we had stepped out onto. It had been crudely painted with a one in the center. Oh god, how many stairs were there? How far did we have to go to get this guy? I covered my mouth with my hand. "Uh, is she ok?"

"She'll be fine," Wes dismissed. "What's the problem? What's going on?"

"That huge guy." The man pointed upwards and to the right past several other platforms to where a man, a huge man even from this distance, was yelling freakishly loud at another smaller man. Oh god, even looking up was a terrible idea for me. My stomach twisted. "He's been pushing aside trainers, refusing to battle and demanding that he have the Time Flute. He nearly threw me off a while ago." I clenched my stomach. "Seriously, though. She alright?"

"Here." Wes took my hand in his. "I'm not letting you fall, alright?" He was looking at me with such intensity that I was sure it was true. He would protect me. That's all I needed for comfort. The sickening sense of Acrophobia was still running through my mind but it was much easier to ignore. All I had to do was keep holding his hand. There might be a major freakout when he lets go but, you know, there were more important matters.

We ran up to the next platform regardless of how slow I wanted to take it. The man there was trembling. When he saw us he simply pointed to the next set of stairs which we scaled. It took what seemed like forever but, finally, we were on the platform painted with a messy ten in the center.

Oh my. When the guy on the first platform said there was a huge guy, I thought he had meant huge in comparison to how good his pokemon was or maybe how tall he was. No, the guy we saw on the platform was two times the size of a gorilla. A bulky figure was hidden beneath impossibly strong under armor. The white cloth was so tight on him that his rippling muscles were shown through it like it was sewn on there. The thug was so large that I couldn't even see the building past platform ten.

"Fine. After all the persuading I did, you still won't hand it over?" The ape's voice boomed. He was not at all pleased. But who was he talking to? Now that I looked around him slightly, I noticed a man about Wes' size standing between him and the next building. "Hmph! This is what happens to stubborn oafs who don't do as I say!" The man pulled back his fist and hit the man dead in the chest, knocking him backwards and onto the next bridge. My heart caught in my throat as he skidded dangerously close to the edge.

"Y-you treacherous swine…. H-how could you refuse to battle? Urrrgh!" The innocent man whimpered. Just as the giant started towards him, Wes stepped forward.

"Stop where you're going." The man stopped. I doubt he could look over his shoulder just because of how much muscle was piled on top of it so he ended up turning all the way around just to check who it was that spoke.

Oh shit. This guy looked a hell of a lot more intimidating from the front. He had red paint on his face like he was a warrior ready to march off to battle. His blood red hair stood up on his head like he had been electrocuted before he had got here. But even as the wind blew past, it refused to budge. Had he just used a ton of gel to keep it that way? His under armor pants were obviously too tight before he had to drape a purple loincloth around his waist to cover his privates. He kept his pokeballs around his neck in a turquoise-beaded necklace, two of which I could barely see behind the thick smog of the Haze.

"He's got two," I whispered to Wes. The giant smiled at my words.

"Oh, so you two must be the troublemakers who messed with Skrub in Celebi's forest. I suppose you want to battle old Dakim now, don't you?" He pulled off two of the regular pokeballs. "The girl fought our star hitmontop, I hear. Why don't you and I have a battle of our own up here? You seem to like the idea of falling to your death."

"I'll take you on first," Wes said, noting my expression. Espeon jumped to his shoulder, fur standing on edge.

"Oh, that's no fun." Dakin reached up and added a third pokeball to his hand, one of the two that leaked thick tendrils of Haze. "Then I'll leave this one to your girlfriend. She likes Shadows, right? I'm sure she'll get a kick out of this!" He threw all three pokemon out at once. A pure metang and golem landed right in front Wes. Their ugly faces seemed to lock onto Umbreon and Espeon like hungry beasts. When the third pokemon emerged, the platform trembled slightly under his weight.

The legendary pokemon Entei stood before me, malicious red eyes widening at the sight of prey.

Rui Is Frightened!

Rui Is Paralyzed!

Shadow Entei Appeared!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	15. One Roar, One Grab, One Queen Of Shadow

Chapter 15

It couldn't be. Entei, one of the legendary dog pokemon, had turned to the dark side. These pokemon were supposed to be pure. Nothing but pure. They had worked miracles in the past to help those in need. How could Team Cipher do such a thing? Even worse, now that they had tainted Entei they were only a few steps behind tainting Ho-oh.

If they hadn't already.

"Skrub's hitmontop is nothing compared this beauty," Dakim bragged. "Fresh out of the factory. It even has that new Shadow smell." He inhaled through his bulbous nose as if he wasn't even joking. He sighed blissfully. "The smell of success is just as sweet as ever."

"Entei," I tried. The Shadow pokemon slowly turned to face me. His eyes were so bright that they nearly glowed in the broad daylight. His fur was mangy and one of his magnificent horns had been snapped off and left in disrepair. The once white parts of his paws were covered in dirt and grime. Even the mane that ran from the back of his neck to his tail was deflated and broken like a beaten up beanbag. "You don't have to stay here. Let's get you all fixed up."

His cold glare was unavoidable. I slowly started towards him, holding out my hands. The closer I got, the narrower his eyes became. It was like he was deciding whether or not to attack me, to rip me open and toss me over the edge. If only I could read his thoughts. Maybe then the Light could help free him from his misery. He was in pain, I could see it behind his eyes.

I could almost see it in the limb he raised in ready to slice me in half.

My golden blade was in my hands the instant he attacked. The point of the feather barely grazed the pad on his massive hand when he shrieked and jumped away. He was so startled that he was briefly a whimpering puppy, backed against the edge of the platform. Then sense took in and he bared his pink fangs before jumping in front of Dakim once more, prepared for battle.

Dakim clenched his fists so tightly in front of his face they nearly bust. "You're the Light!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the sides of the hollow volcano. Rocks started crumbling down the wall to our right, churning up dust in the soft breeze. I squeezed the hilt of my blade tightly as Dakim stomped his bare feet against the floor, shaking the platform. "In that case, I'm going to need you gone. Metang, Golem!"

Metang's metal arm hit me in the ribs, knocking me sideways. The sickening feeling of my stomach lurching and nausea hit me so hard I thought I was going to puke as I fell off the side of the platform. Game over, I thought. But I found myself stopped, suspended in midair. I checked to make sure my grip around the sword was still there. Yep, I was alive. Espeon's eyes shone bright purple in my direction. Thank god. As long as she was conscious, I wouldn't need to be worried about falling off the edge.

She dropped me onto the platform and jumped up to my side, wiggling her hunches like she was ready to pounce. Dakim rubbed his stubbly chin in thought. Without a word and just with a flick of his wrist, he commanded his metang after her. A heavy fist cratered the steel floor where she once stood. Espeon sliced the culprit right in the eye with both paws as she jumped to avoid his first attempt of a hit.

"Go." The determination on Wes' face masked a sliver of fear. "Free him." I knew what he meant. The skarmory feather in my hands warmed at the thought of ending Entei's misery. I brought it up to my face and spun on my heels to face him. The wind whipped at his tangled fur, giving him the appearance of a slightly bigger pokemon. Had he grown in size? How would I know? I'd only seen this beast in majestic paintings and detailed books. He could be smaller for all I know.

A sharp spike in the temperature caught my attention. He was fast; I was almost too absorbed with my thoughts to catch as he dove toward me, lava dripping from his mouth. So Entei's didn't usually do that, or at least I was pretty sure. As I rolled backwards and out of the way, the platform shuddered. The air was still hot, and I wasn't near the pokemon anymore. That's weird. Why'd the volcano get so hot all of a sudden?

Wait.

Entei.

Volcano.

Oh my sweet baby Arceus, if this pokemon roars, this entire volcano will erupt.

"I see you've come to an understanding." Dakin's loincloth flapped in the wind. I'm not sure if I was supposed to find that majestic or just plain gross. "You either hand over the sword or we all go up in flames. I wouldn't mind dying for the glory of Team Cipher." Well aren't you special. Handing over the sword wasn't an option. I made a move to try and slice at the Entei but his black, scaley tongue licked his teeth in mockery. All that I needed to do was stab him with this sword, but how? Wes and his pokemon were at a tantalizing standstill at well. They needed to move to attack.

Or only Umbreon did.

That's it.

I slowly, so slow I hoped that Dakim couldn't catch it, met Espeon out of the corner of my eye. Her legs were trembling in fear. She was just as afraid of heights as I was. I had to tell her my plan. But how? I couldn't say it to her now, not with Dakim and his stupid pokemon there to watch. C'mon Espeon, look at me.

Her ears pricked. She met my eyes with confused blinks. Oh my Arceus. She's a psychic type. Of course she can read my mind. Being as discreet as possible, I relayed my plan onto her. There was no emotion spread across her face as the explanation went on. Could she really read my mind? I was so panicked the thought of just standing there talking to myself was frightening. The pokemon heard me, though. Every time my mind shifted to panic she would blink. At least I hope that's why she blinked.

When the message had been sent. I squeezed the sword tightly in my hands. There was a chance this wasn't going to work. A chance that we, plus a hundred others, would end up swimming in lava. There's also a chance of getting out free. That was the chance I was looking for. So as soon as Entei closed his mouth to moisten his mouth, Espeon attacked. She froze him in place like a popsicle so well that his face couldn't change expressions.

"What?!" Dakim hollered. "Metang, what are you doing?! Do something! Go! Go! GO!" His clumsy pokemon had been worn out so much from battling that he hung in the air, half asleep. The silence before seemed to be the perfect time to nap, apparently. Even as his trainer called him, the psychic pokemon took his sweet time stretching and waking up. By then, it was all over.

My blade had sliced Entei from his cheek all the way down his left side, leaving a trail of golden glimmer behind. The platform shifted as Dakim jumped forward and knocked the blade from my hands. The silver feather clattered to a stop at Wes' feet. Dakim's hands were now around my throat, crushing my windpipe like a plastic straw. Behind him, Entei was shining brilliant light.

"What do you think you're doing, little lady?" he whispered menacingly. His hands pressed me harder into the cold steel flooring. The way his hair was positioned made me think that the shock I had given him had made it stand even taller on his tiny head. His meaty fists worked to choke me tighter. "Do you think this is a little game you get to play? Swing that sword round and round and then go home? Is that what you think this is?" I'm not sure how I was supposed to answer. The force on my throat was bringing tears to my eyes.

Dakim shifted forward slightly. The giants shoulders rippled as he hefted me into the air and nearly smacked me head-on into Wes, who had the sword in his own hands, dripping in blood. The back of Dakim's leg was split open painfully. He lowered himself to his other leg, eyes nearly about to pop right out of his head from the rage. My dry lips worked to tell Wes to run, but the look of murderous intent told me he wasn't going to try to listen.

How long had I been without air? It seemed like years. The wind was even colder on my skin like it was seeping into my body and coursing through my blood. My toes didn't repsond and my teeth ached from being pushed up forcefully against each other. Wes was saying something, shouting, actually. But the words went into my ears and were lost behind the thunderous pounding of fear stealing my consciousness. Don't faint, don't faint, I told myself, but the urge to fall asleep was overpowering me.

This was how I was going to die.

I was almost sure it was game over right then until my body hit something warm and furry. The warmth was back in my limbs and finally, finally I could breathe. It was like drowning in an icy pool only to wake up in your bed safe and sound. Like it hadn't even happened. But it had happened.

Entei had snatched me from Dakim and thrown me on his back. The magnificent beast pranced away as Wes tore another gash on the Cipher Admin's thick body, ripping the sleeve of his under armor so wide that the shirt itself crumpled to the ground, leaving his opponent shirtless. All traces of red pain seemed to vanish the instant he realized he had been bested. He threw his head back and roared, splitting the ears of any trainers nearby. The silver feather glinted menacingly behind the film of blood as Wes raised it at the ready to charge.

"YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!" Dakim made a move that seemed to be a lunge but at the same time was too frightened to carry it all the way through. Stamping his foot like an indignant third grader, he took Entei's pokeball and crushed it in the palm of his hand, quivering with rage. The beast simply nodded once, confirming there was no choice but to do so with his old prison. "SHE'S ALMOST READY. THE DARKEST WRETCH IN THE POKEMON WORLD WILL NOT STAND ASIDE FOR THIS!" He took the other Haze-infested ball and threw it at his feet.

The ball opened and shadows poured out like smoke at a pop concert. It covered the ground, masking our feet beneath any icy cold sheet of black before trailing idly off the edge and fading before straying for the rest of the group. At first I thought it was empty, nothing but a play to escape. But Dakim stood still, eyes bulging proudly and fists curled up at the ready.

Espeon and Umbreon were almost too short to see past the smog. They pricked their ears and squared their shoulders in case they needed to leap out of the way from a surprise attack. There wasn't an attack on any of us, but it was a bit startling when the shadows slowed and started flowing from the edges to the center of the platform. The temperature around us dropped. It was quick, almost like the flash of lightning. But a dark figure stood in the center of the platform, red eyes blazing so brilliant that the Haze swarmed around them like moths to a flame. Two black wings snapped open like old wood splintering, clearing away every last bit of Haze from our feet. The black dragonite stood, her moon white claws clenching time and time again, as if she had lost feeling in them.

"S-Serenity," I whispered. The beast whirled to face me. Several rows of orange teeth met my words by dripping pink drool at Entei's feet. The round and cuddly snout I had learned to caress in my childhood was riddled with scars and marks of abuse. Her black scales were chipped and in agonizing disarray. Her blood red belly clung tightly to her ribs like someone had sucked the jolly fat from her bones. As I watched her pry open my gaze and look for any traces of hostility or weakness, tears started pooling in my eyes. "Who did this to you?" She snorted at me.

"Her name is not Serenity. This trophy is Vex, queen of the Shadows!" Dakim threw back his head back in laughter. Entei shifted uneasily as the dragon took another step towards us, chilled and rotten breath breathing down on us.

"Serenity, stop. Don't listen to him." Her evil eyes watched as I slowly lifted my hand, showing it to her front and back, and started to move it towards her. She leaned forward to press her forehead against mine. Her mouth opened and let out the most gruesome, wet hiss right in my face. I could smell that she hadn't eaten anything in god knows how long. "Stop it. You know who I am. Quit it." She pressed harder, nearly fitting my head in her mouth. It was getting to the point where the fear was starting to set in.

"Not now, Vex. We have things to do." At her masters' command, the giant Shadow beast spun around, whipping Entei with her massive tail. The dog pokemon was nearly knocked off his feet from the force. A chuckle escaped Serenity at the sound of him shuffling to keep his stance.

"She's not Vex! That's Serenity!" Entei was glad to let me off his back. The dragon pokemon looked over her shoulder at me, eyes narrowed in curious interest. "Serenity! Stop this right now! Come here!" Her lips drew back in a snarl. "Don't give me that shit, young lady! You know this isn't you!"

Wes was at my side, sliding the feather into my palm. My hands shook as I worked to position it in my hands comfortably. Serenity's snarl vanished.

"Afraid?" I called, swinging the golden blade over my shoulder. "You shouldn't be!" My legs seemed to work on their own. I charged right at my old friend, sword at the ready. "Don't worry, everything will be alright!" My legs seemed to brim with energy the instant I jumped into the air. Serenity watched with skeptical eyes as I attacked from above, bringing the golden sword down right on her bony head.

 _CLANG!_ The sword hit her like an iron pipe. The violent quivering of my sword rattled the bones in my hands as well as the rest of my body. It vibrated its way out of my hand and on the ground, where it chimed like a gong. I landed beside it, hands tucked under my arms. Ow, ow, OW! Sweet Arceus that hurt like hell! My teeth were chattering from the force; I had to clap both of my hands on the sides of my jaw to keep them from shaking right out of their sockets.

Dakim laughed. "You think that puny blade will do anything to her? Try again next time, kid." Serenity snorted. Dakim approached her from behind and climbed onto her back. Regardless of the weight, she didn't seemed in the slightest bothered by it. The black dragon opened her wings in preparation to fight. I shouted her name over the sound of her vigorous flapping, but whether she heard me or not, she did not respond.

There was a moment where it looked like she was just going to stand there and buffet us with her gusts of wind. When she jumped off the platform, Metang and Golem grabbing onto her ankles, it was only a matter of seconds before she was lost in the bright blue sky.

Wild Entei Appeared!

Entei Turned Friendly!

Shadow Dragonite Appeared!

Rui Is Unable To Battle!

Shadow Dragonite Fled!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	16. We Go Under Cover!

Chapter 16

"You two." The man that Dakim had knocked over was up in a sitting position. There was no traces of bruises or scratches on his body, a relief for both Wes and I. He brought a fist up to his mouth to clear his throat. "Thank you both for saving me." It could've just been me, but he seemed more rattled then he was letting us see. Was he hurt after all? Wes helped him to his feet. On my way over to them, I lifted my sword into my hands. The blade was warm from the vibrations. "That sword, what is it?"

"It's a skarmory feather," I replied. A crap one, too, I thought bitterly. What kind of sword couldn't purify the one pokemon that needed it the most? I held it out to him. Though he seemed genuinely interested, he didn't seem willing to take it, let alone touch it.

"The blade turns gold when you touch it, is it a curse?"

"The opposite," Wes replied. His hands overlapped mine for just a moment. It shimmered brilliantly as it left my touch and into his. "Rui is the Light, or a human that can purify Shadow Pokemon by slicing them with this."

"Rui is your name, then." He held out his hand, which I took and shook softly. "You look a bit rattled, are you alright?" No, I wasn't alright. My pokemon, my little Serenity, who I thought ran away when I was just a kid, is now a monster. She's loyal to that idiot Dakim and all of Team Cipher. She didn't even seem to recognize me. My heart was broken, torn to pieces, and trampled into the dirt. But I wasn't going to say that.

"I'm fine." To my right, Wes' expression changed. It was quick, I wasn't able to read it. "What's your name?"

"Vander. I'm the one normal challengers have to beat before they can get this." His fingers fished around in his pocket until he pulled out an unfamiliar item. The wooden shaft and the live branches that protruded from it gave me the impression that he was just holding out an every day stick he had plucked from an oak tree. When Vander moved his hands I could suddenly see where holes had been drilled in a straight line starting from an odd-looking spout that must've been the mouthpiece. The Time Flute was gorgeous except for the single crack that ran from the bottom up through three holes just to stop at the midpoint. "That idiot punched me and it splintered. I doubt it'll work now."

"You mean it can't summon Celebi now?" My voice was soft. It shouldn't have been much of an issue, I had met Celebi without it. That meant it would be harder for Team Cipher to try and hurt her if they couldn't contact her. Was there a chance I could still see her without needing this?

"More than likely, no." It was obvious why Vander was so shaken. Such a rare, magical item being broken by a complete idiot must've stung like a beedrill. "All the years I put into fixing it were for nothing, then."

"May I see it?" Vander looked at my, puzzled.

"Um, yeah. Sure." He held it out to me. There was a brief moment where he and I both had a grip on the handle of the item, paused. It was like he was doubting whether or not to give it to me. Right when I was starting to pull back my hand he made the decision and let me have it.

"Thank you." The flute clattered softly as I turned it over in my palm. Yeah, that crack wasn't coming out any time soon. My thumb ran over the hole that had been splintered near the top. When I removed it, we were all surprised to see that the wood was mended, almost like human skin, back into place. The hole was still there, rounder and smoother than ever.

Vander had the face of a frozen jynx. As he watched me mend the rest of the flute by caressing the crack with my thumbs, his expression turned more and more surprised. Think that the sword was cursed anymore? Yeah, that was enough to change his mind.

"You… the Time Flute… but…" His stammering was almost too low to hear. Using delicate fingers, I handed him back the Time Flute. There was a series of about two minutes that passed as he stared down at his prized possession in disbelief. The fool even bit his lip to make sure it wasn't a dream. Then, "Thank you, both of you."

"No problem." As heartbroken I was, it was always nice to see that I had helped someone. "Be sure to keep an eye on that. I'm not going to be around all the time to- eh?" Vander held the instrument right in front of my face.

"Take it!" Every nervous thought in his mind had vanished. "If this flute belongs to anybody, it's you! Please! Keep it safe!" Vander took my hands in his and set the Time Flute in them before pushing it back to me. "Whatever kind of curse, gift, you have on you, use it to your liking!" His body straightened to form a perfect salute. The last thing I saw was his fingers as he disappeared in the front door of the building up ahead.

"Not much of a fan of unusual things," Wes observed.

"I guess." Man, I felt terrible. My little Serenity, stolen and now a killing machine. Had this entire trip been for nothing?

Umbreon and Espeon both jumped up on my shoulder this time, nudging my cheeks with their warm heads. This was the kind of comforting I didn't mind. My heart melted at the touch of their warm fur, brushed so much that it was like silk. If only they could always do this; I'd never be stressed again.

Entei approached me. His face was stern.

"Oh, I forgot you were there." He narrowed his eyes at me. "So, are you going to follow us around so it's easier to battle any stronger Shadow Pokemon?" He blinked at me. Then, using the tip of his longest horn, he poked me in the center of the forehead. Using his massive paws, he took off from where he was standing and up down the ten platforms we had cleared. Trainers and pokemon alike screeched at the sight of the legendary dog pokemon. I tried to follow where he went, but as soon as he got to the entrance building, he climbed over it and vanished on the other side.

"Um?" was all I could think to say.

"A thank you," Wes explained. "It wasn't much, but trust me, we'll see him again."

His cell beeped twice. When he opened it, his fingers started across the keyboard until it stopped on a certain message.

"'We need your help in Pyrite Town,'" he read. "'Silva thought exploring the abandoned building we cleared would be safe until he was captured. There's an elevator that could be where he was taken downwards, but the guards there are too strong for Plusle and I. Please hurry, I don't want him to get hurt.'"

"Duking?" I guessed.

"Yes." He slipped the phone back in his pocket. "We should head out, now. That kid has a knack for getting captured."

"Right."

Pyrite Town was back to being dusty and dirty when we returned. Each and every person, however, seemed to have an easier time smiling and laughing. A few looked even to be cleaner with softer looks in their eyes. They didn't stare at us when we arrived. They seemed to have taken a good shower or two as well.

We had just stepped into the town square when Duking waved us over from the entrance to the old building. It looked like he had finally trimmed his hair and mustache. His thick unibrow had been cleaned instead of parted, though. It was a surprise to me that he liked it, I thought he was just too lazy to get rid of it. From his shoulder, Plusle was casually braiding a lock of his hair.

"There's only two of them guarding the elevator," he said as a greeting. "It'd be my pleasure to pound their faces in, but they each have pokemon that knocked me backwards. Plusle ain't much of a fighter, so I figured you two'd be the perfect fighters." He stopped. "Is zat the skarmory feather on your back?"

"Yeah." I unsheathed it from him to see. "We'll explain after we save Silva."

"Finally," he sighed. "You guys left in such a hurry I figured you'd never get around to telling us." Plusle chirped, holding out the pristine braid. His meaty fingers fumbled to get a hold on it. "Do you guys need help getting past them?"

"For the time being," Wes said.

"Yessir."

The old building was just as smelly and ugly as before. It looked to have been abandoned and never returned to after Wes and I had cleared it, for plates of food and drinks were left sitting on tables and counters to rot. The only noticeable difference was the sound of hushed whispers coming from a nearby room we hadn't thought to check before. The voices both sounded like girls and stopped when the door to the base opened.

With no sense of secrecy, Wes, Duking, and I wandered right into the occupied room. Two women with bleach blonde hair turned to us, glowering darkly. Both their pokemon were on the field, a phanpy and a ledian. The ledian was a Shadow Pokemon, luckily not too powerful of one. When she charged me, screeching her bug-like call, I swiped my sword across her stomach. The room filled with light, startling the two women into backing away to the far wall. When it clear, Ledian had been purified. She blinked at me twice in gratitude before zipping her way out the door.

"What…." I head Duking whisper in hopes that I wouldn't hear.

"These idiots," the girl with the phanpy hissed. "Great, just we need in the Under." The Under? That was probably where that huge elevator behind them lead. It had a lock on it but it had been smashed and forced open most likely by Silva before us. She darted off after the elevator but Espeon was quicker, she snagged her and lifted her into the air using her psychic powers. Now the pokemonless trainer to her left was beginning to look desperate. One lift of my sword and her hands were in the air, submitting to us.

"I'll take it from here." Duking stepped forward, first handcuffing the girl on the ground. Espeon set down the other one gently before giving her the same set of bracelets. When they were ready to be escorted out, the bodybuilder turned to us. "Be careful down there. If you two die, I won't be able to listen to the story behind you two." You two? Oh great, I forgot that he was a huge WesxRui supporter.

"Thanks," Wes responded. "We'll be fine." Duking bobbed his head once before heading out the door.

The lock on the elevator was hard to get off. The girls must've put the broken contraption back on in hopes that it'd secure it at least until they could get a new one. They weren't wrong. Whatever Silva had done to it, perhaps took a few swings of a bat to it, made it disfigured enough to keep us out for five more minutes than needed. Once it had been removed and thrown on the ground it broke entirely. Well, no use trying to fix it.

We got on the elevator uneasily. This thing was like a hundred years old. It had those old metal bars that you'd see break and fall in horror movies. As the grate closed around us, the elevator let out a clanking noise that must've been the gears clicking into place. It jerked once, then descended laboriously. Being secretive wasn't going to be an option with this thing. When we got down there we'd have to bail from this thing fast. Hopefully no one was waiting at the bottom for us.

It was unnerving how far into the ground the elevator sunk. The temperature dropped, the darkness started thicken, and the machine started working harder and harder to keep going. This really was like a horror movie. I found myself edging closer and closer to Wes. When his shoulder touched mine, he chuckled and put a protective hand on my shoulder. My fear cleared, slightly, but still.

About a minute later the elevator's path opened up to a domed room the size of a football field. The cave had been cleared away and replaced with a small town. There was a shop, a pokemon center, and a few other small stores and buildings that must've had some specific use. The streets looked to have been paved years ago, much like Pyrite Town. The shops were decorated by neon lights, but to help aid in sight every six feet on the sides of these roads a makeshift street lamp flickered.

The people down here looked more hostile than the ones in Pyrite Town had ever been. Both them and their pokemon carried scars, some so heavily wounded that they limped from building to building. A few were chatting, others were just standing there glaring at everything that looked their way. It wasn't a nice place at all.

The elevator came to a creaking halt at the ground. Surprisingly, there were no thugs to greet us. There was, however, a fenced off area for spare parts and broken pieces of metal that a familiar young man with silver hair sat. His wrists and ankles were going to bruise at the rate he tried to free himself from his ties, so I stepped up to the chain link wall and shook it slightly. His face lit up instantly.

"Rui! Wes!"

"Ssh," I hissed. "You're going to expose us." Silva hopped his way over to us and lean against his prison. "What were you thinking? Coming down here and getting captured like this isn't the brightest thing to do." As I spoke, Wes tried to open the door to his prison. No luck, it was locked.

"Trust me, I didn't come down here for fun." His legs were giving out from under him so he sat down and lifted his chin to meet my gaze. "There's this girl down here, Venus or whatever, she had a legendary pokemon with her."

"Legendary pokemon?" I echoed. "Which one?"

"Oh, what's her name?" He pressed his head against the fence. "It was… um… oh yeah! Suicune!"

Wild Entei Fled!

Rui Received The Time Flute!

Wes And Rui Discovered The Under!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	17. Jealousy Goes Every Which Way!

Chapter 17

"Hey! What do you think you're doing to my spy?" A man in rollerblades with a blonde ponytail rolled on up to us, obviously showing off his moves. He skidded to a stop like a professional rollerblade drifter, flashing a brilliant smile in my direction. "Oh, it's just a pretty young lady and another thug." Almost immediately, Wes looked ready to punch him. I'm not sure which part he wanted to punch him about.

"Hey," I said nervously. Don't mess this up, I told myself. This isn't the time to freak out. There's no way they know that you're here to steal a legendary pokemon from a possibly strong trainer. Just play it cool. "Is this the spy everyone was talking about?" The skater nodded.

"Yep. Captured him myself when he tried getting to the stadium over there." He rolled backwards slightly. In the background beyond a trench that I doubt either Wes and I could jump was a white dome. It was built into the wall so there was no telling how large it was. Judging from the outside, it was pretty big. "Talk about lucky, huh? He was apparently looking for Lady Venus. Good thing he went the wrong way, amiright?"

Wrong way? Was she not in the stadium? Now that I looked closer there was another platform nearby it. We'd still had to cross the trench to get to it but it'd be harder to jump because it was off to the right on its own little island. You'd need a flying pokemon to get there.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen!" a voice boomed from above. In all of the Under, there was only one TV screen outside the shops: a huge LCD that was wide enough for everyone to see regardless of where you were standing. Though it new the quality was horrific. The reporter on the screen kept flickering in and out and her voice crackled with every word. It wasn't a flatscreen; the TV looked to have been made in the eighties. "It's time for the Under Time again today!"

"Oh, goodie." Skater Boy rubbed his hands together. "I love the Under Time."

"Psst," Silva whispered in my ear. At his feet was a card that had a big F on it. It looked like one of those hotel keys that you'd swipe to get into your room, only this one was heavily battered from use. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure the thug wasn't watching, I picked it up and slipped it into my pocket.

"Without further ado, let's bring out that special someone we've all been waiting for!" The girl on the screen flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Lady Venus, Please!" The screen flickered and glitched for a brief moment. When it cleared, a young lady with dark brown hair was staring straight at the camera. She had some sort of weird item on her head that gave her brass horns on the sides of her head. Behind them, a crescent had been attached to the back of her pink and white dress. Though her skin was perfect and her make up was well-applied, her copper eyes looked dull and rusty.

"Pfff…" I heard Wes sigh.

"Hi, everyone! It's me, your Venus! Everyone's Venus, that's me!" Sweet Arceus, her voice was as squeaky and annoying as hell. I bet her parents tried to cut her vocal chords when she was younger and the doctor gave up halfway through. If she ever heard herself on video I bet she wouldn't be talking so excitedly. "Congratulations on capturing the spy, everyone! What a marvelous victory!" Skater Boy rubbed behind his neck and chuckled, pretending to be humble. "Keep up the good work! Keep on the lookout for more!" The screen flickered again.

"And that was Lady Venus!" the reporter chimed. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, thanks for watching! Please do tune in again!" When she had finished, the screen switched back to the black and white static.

"Well, I better be going." Skater Boy leaned in close to me. "If you ever need a lift somewhere, I'm at the bar on Tuesdays." He winked at me. Then he was off back into town, whistling a tune that could've been anything from dubstep for country. Wes snorted, ready to say something.

"Use that to get to the Stadium," Silva interrupted. "I don't have the right key for getting to the other platform where Venus is." Great, give us the key we don't need. "Head out while you still can. You shouldn't be seen talking to me again."

"Right. Thanks, Silva. We'll come back to get you when we can."

"I'd hope so," he whispered.

We ventured deeper into the Under. The people didn't even seem to notice us as we walked in. I guess we did just look like a pretty lady and a thug, because no one seemed interested in us. Wes and I avoided entering the shops and pokemon center for the sake of keeping our profiles low. He was thinking the same thing I was: where could we possibly get a key to Lady Venus? Asking around would be a terrible idea. I'd considered pickpocketing it from people, but the chances of me pulling off a successful steal were little to nothing. Nobody seemed to have a key that looked like the one I had, so maybe it wouldn't be needed.

Wes' expression was starting to turn worried. The longer we spent lurking around the Under, the more likely it was that we were going to be spotted and put in the same position as Silva. We needed to get to that building. But how?

"Oh, good, there you are." A kid with a red bandana, blue shirt, and yellow sleeves stepped up to us. I froze. Was this kid going to expose us? Judging by his bored expression, he didn't seem to be ready to start shouting at people to try and lock us up. Instead he put a weird-looking mechanical piece in my hand that weighed more than it looked. "I need you to deliver this to Nett. He's been wanting it for a while."

"Um?" I started but Wes knew what to do.

"Thank you, Perr. We'll get it to them." Perr nodded, pretended he was tipping his hat at him, then started off the other direction. Tempted to ask him but smart enough to stay quiet, I followed Wes across the town once more. The able trainer lead me to an old house that had an old, rusty satellite dish in front of it. A kid with a white bandana had pried off a panel from the base and was punching buttons in at random. His face was scrunched in frustration. In front of the door, another kid with a green bandana (these boys had no idea how to dress themselves) was looking around anxiously. When Wes approached, he paused.

"Wes, is that-?" he started, but I interrupted him.

"Delivery for Nett." His hands were sweaty when I put the part in his palms. Realization crossed his face briefly.

"Right. Come on inside." Then, calling to his friend, "I'll be right back! Hold down the fort out here while I'm gone!" Whether Mr. Green Bandana heard or not, he chose not to acknowledge it. A button popped off the panel and landed at his feet. The face of frustration turned into anger.

Once we were inside the house, the boy closed the door tightly behind us. His shoulders finally relaxed and a sigh escaped him. Wes smiled faintly.

"Good to see you, Bitt," he greeted.

"Where have you been, man?" Nett asked in a low voice. "Blowing up Team Snagem is one thing. Disappearing without so much as telling the squad where you went is something different altogether. As soon as you left, Boss started sniffing around the place for other spies. Guess the first people he started suspecting: us!"

"Is Wes out there?" Three sets of footsteps started climbing up the stairs at the back of the room. Two more kids emerged, one boy, one girl, and her shroomish, who looked to have just been napping. "Oh my god, it's true!" The girl quivered in excitement. "It's really you! After all this time!"

"Megg, Nett, it's good to see you again." The two kids greeted him with nods.

"It's good to see you, too," they chimed in unison.

"They got the part," Bitt cut in, handing the piece to Nett. "Hurry and get this installed so we can get into the Kids Grid." Nett observed the mechanical piece with one eye closed, a lot like a geologist examining a stone. When he had finished, he nodded and started off downstairs. Bitt was about to say more, but he caught sight of me. "Oh, is this the Rui we keep hearing about?"

"She even has the sword!" Megg added, leaning in close for a better look. "Wow, she's not even holding it and it's all golden!"

"We don't have time to talk," Wes started. "We need a way to Lady Venus."

"That's a first. Wes actually wanting to see her." Megg giggled. Um, what?

"Not for that." Was that embarrassment in his voice? "Do you have a way to that building on its own platform or not?"

"We do," Bitt said. He strolled over to a shelf that was almost too tall for him to reach. Scrambling to get his fingers over the lip, Bitt worked his way back and forth until he found a matching card with excess amounts of dust and dirt on it. Wes took it from him and tucked it in his coat pocket. "Anything else?"

"Keep safe. The Under isn't the best place for kids to hang around."

"Kids?" Megg laughed. "We're basically adults now! Our time in Team Snagem has taught us well. Team Cipher won't be able to last too long with us around, don't you think?" To her dismay, Wes didn't react.

"Good luck," Bitt said. "Don't let anyone catch you here."

"That's a given," he responded with a smile.

I followed Wes out of the building and onto the streets, where he took a sharp left. For a brief moment I thought he was going to walk right up to the trench and try and jump it from the small set of stairs that hung over the side. To my relief, he stopped at a small, unusual machine that had a hologram of a weird UFO shape machine next it. After he had taken the key from me, he placed both of them in the two slots the machine had and punched a green button on the panel. When Wes had finished with the machine, the trench flash briefly and the UFO the machine had depicted was at the front of the stairs, ready for us to board.

"We have to take that?" I whispered. Dealing with the creaky elevator was scary enough. this thing levitated above a canyon so deep I couldn't see the bottom. It made loud clanking noises and trembled every time a gear slipped out of place. There was a chance we would die trying to use that thing to cross. Hopefully Wes wouldn't make me get on it. Yet the smile on his face said otherwise.

"You'll be fine," he assured. "If anything bad happens, I'll protect you." Warmth flooded to my cheeks.

"R-right…" As much as I still wanted to decline crossing it, there was no way I could turn him down. So, sticking close to his side, we boarded the UFO.

It gave a small jerk when we stepped on it. My heart was momentarily in my throat until it adjusted to our combined weight. Then, with a puff of black smoke and a shudder that made me think we were done for, the machine started off towards the right. It was slower than a slugma and burned my feet like one but it was efficient. We got to the platform alive and in one piece.

"It's the news station," Wes said to his dismay. Why was he suddenly so bothered? "Let's get Suicune before she goes live and cries about it." My mouth opened to ask more questions, but he was already starting off inside. Inside was just as I expected from a new station. One big room with cameras set up on different sides, that crappy counter that the news report had sat at for Under Time, and a couple of goons in the background running about with stacks of paper or cups of coffee in their hands. Standing on the set, unable to see us through the stage lights, was Lady Venus. She was adjusting her hair in a handheld mirror, a pout on her expression as she did it.

Wes didn't waste any time. He walked right out there into the light and in front of Lady Venus. The idol spent a minute more trying to straighten a stray lock of hair that had gone astray before looking up. Her face lit up in kid-like wonder.

"West!" she shouted, reaching forward to hug him. In an attempt to avoid it he stepped to the side. She had obviously seen this tactic before for she only followed him and wrapped her skinny arms around him, squealing with glee. Oh, god. What hadn't he told me? "It's so good to see you!"

"I can't say the same," he muttered, refusing to lift his arms to embrace her back. She pulled away and cupped his cheek. Jealousy hit me like a poison dart. What on Earth did she think she was doing? It would've been so much worse if he didn't casually grab her hand and push it back to her.

"Oh, don't be like that," she said, blushing. "This is our grand reunion! It's time to celebrate, is it not, West?" He sighed. That obviously wasn't one of the first times she'd gotten his name wrong. "What should we do this time? Run off into the sunset? Sail into the horizon? Retreat back to my room, perhaps?" What in the hell was this lady smoking?

"Shut up." Wes held out his hand. "Suicune. Now."

"Don't play hard to get." She laced her hands together and held them up to him. "See these hands? Barren! Nothing! I need a ring, West, and I'm all out of people to get me one."

"Suicune. I'm waiting." Lady Venus sighed at his words.

"Fine…" That's when she saw me. "Oh? Who is this?"

"Rui Yurika," I answered for him. "You can call me Yurika." Wes shot me a warning glare. Too late. Lady Venus heard the hostility in my tone and sauntered over to me. She got uncomfortably close to me. I could smell her blush and watch it flake off every time she moved too suddenly.

"Oh, so you're the one that's running around with West."

"His name is Wes, not West." I leaned in even closer to her. "If you really liked him, you'd know that by now." She frowned. It seemed to be news to her but I doubted she hadn't heard it before.

"I bet you don't even know his middle name," she taunted.

"Wes Ashen Ledge." Now Lady Venus looked taken aback. It was a miracle I could remember what the initials on the skarmory feather stood for. My eyes caught Wes staring from behind Venus. He had this meaningful look to his eyes and a dreamy look on his face. Was he… blushing?

"You think you know so much, pretty girl?" Venus asked. "How about a battle? You're good at those, aren't you?" Her petty smile was so wide it crinkled her forehead. Without averting her stare, she waved at the Under Time news reporter, who had just walked in to witness the quarrel. "Sam, get the cameras rolling. I want all of Under to see this."

"And with the boy?" she asked, adjusting her glasses.

"Keep him out of the way." Wes had just registered her words when two larger men grabbed his arms and pinioned them behind his back. He wrestled to throw them off but their grips were firm. They pulled him off the set and to the side where they handcuffed him to a bench that was used for onlookers. He looked from the cuffs to me, a pleading look in my direction. I pressed my lips together. There was no way out of this now, was there? I had to win. There was no other choice.

I heard someone counting down from five. As soon as he hit two, a larger pokemon with sharp claws and jagged fangs was suddenly pinning me to the ground. The lights focused and the cameras aimed. Next thing I know I'm broadcasted to all of the Under, as well as every Cipher and Snagem hideout, being preyed upon by the dastardly Suicune.

Lady Venus Used Attract!

It Doesn't Affect Wes!

Rui Used Intimidate!

Lady Venus Is Angry!

Wes Is Trapped!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	18. Suicune And A Shine In The Darkness!

Chapter 18

"Welcome to the show, everyone." Lady Venus' voice had changed for the worst. The quirky squeak that had greeted everyone with annoying kindness was now a dark mumble that onlookers had to lean in to hear. If they weren't leaning in already from, you know, the image of me being pinned down by Suicune. "Miss Rui Yurika is going to demonstrate how one purifies a pokemon, are you not?" Coward. If I was trying to keep her Shadow Pokemon off my neck, I would've answered. "Good, good. Let the show begin!"

Suicune roared to the liking of an angered beartic. If it wasn't for my sword, which kept her at bay, she would've already had me. But luckily she knew better to touch it, let alone draw too close. Her head worked this way and that to try and get around it. Utterly terrified, I kept bringing it closer and closer to my face, which was probably a bad idea because I was just giving her more leeway to bite me. There were a few moments where the sword grazed her scaly blue flesh, but she was so consumed by the Haze it didn't seem to do much. She was deeper under than Entei, that was for sure.

"Suicune," I whispered. "Just let me get you back to the way you were." Her red eyes glowed in hostility. She did take a pause to listen to me, however. "I just need you to hold still while I use this sword." I used my eyes to show her what I was talking about. "It'll take five minutes, max." She pressed her crown-like forehead against mine, inhaling deeply.

Oh shit.

I rolled to the left right as a deathly spray of water escaped her in a roar that could only be matched by an exploud. The cement floor where she had struck cracked from the pressure. When the water had sunk into the ground there was a crater in her wake. Her enormous head swung in my direction, lips curled tightly over her gums in a malicious snarl. This wasn't going to be pretty.

There was something peculiar about this whole situation I noticed right about then. Venus had stepped away from Suicune as soon as she had released her onto the battlefield. Now she was behind that counter that her friend Sam sat at to give the news. Suicune seemed to be acting on her own as well, there was no instruction given by her owner.

Was Suicune so unstable that she might attack her trainer as well?

That must be it. Entei defended Dakim, but if it came to the choice, that pokemon would've roared and sacrificed him as well. The legendary dog pokemon were powerful, yes. But even more than that, these things were almost uncontrollable.

I could use that to my advantage. Or at least I hoped.

Suicune leapt towards me with the intent to kill. The instant before she struck my blade was at the ready. She ran full-force into it, nearly halving her nose. A yelp escaped her and she bounded backwards, pawing at it with bleary eyes. The Haze softened even if it were for just an instant.

"What are you doing?!" Venus hollered. "Get back in there and kill her!" The legendary water type turned back to her trainer and growled. Wow, maybe I didn't even need to provoke her. Venus was doing all the work for me.

Regardless that her trainer had no appreciation for her work, Suicune looked back to me and adjusted her stance. Her mane was flatter than Entei's and the streamers that had once flowered so gracefully dragged across the floor to collect dirt. She looked diseased and unhappy it's no wonder she hated her trainer so much.

She charged, front claws extended and ready to shred. I ducked just as she sailed overhead, slicing just the last two feet of her stomach before she landed. Her eyes flashed an ocean blue. For a brief moment, her mane inflated then deflated. Yes, she was beginning to feel the effects of the feather.

"Use Hydro Pump!" Venus shouted. Suicune whirled around again, barking with slobber dripping off her jaws. The idiot trainer pouted. "Oh, shut up. I was just trying to help! Focus on her, she's the one who wants to kill you." That made Suicune pause. Barely able to see to her full extent, she looked back at me, almost like she was asking me if I would do such a thing.

In response, I set the sword down at my feet and raised my hands for her to see. The legendary seemed like she was going to change her mind and just attack me while I was down, but there was something about her that knew better: an instinct that Suicune couldn't shake even when she had been tainted. And now that my sword had touched her flesh, that instinct was stronger than ever.

She wheeled around to meet Venus. The trainer backed away slowly. Though she was fearful, her face portrayed nothing but anger. "What are you doing?!" she shouted. "I'm the one who's been taking care of you! Get her! Get Rui!"

"That's Yurika to you." My blade glimmered dangerously. "Suicune, you know what to do."

The legendary beast roared. Her legs worked so hard to jump forward that for a brief moment it was like her legs were nothing but muscles and veins under a thin layer of flesh. Her teeth dripped pink drool all the way to Lady Venus. It was satisfying to see my enemy prepare herself to be torn apart, but I couldn't let that happen, no matter how annoying and evil she was. So I lifted my sword and slashed Suicune from behind, once, twice, five times before she reached her trainer. The second legendary dog landed on top of Venus, but her claws were sheathed and her teeth were hidden. It had only taken a fraction of a second.

Suicune was pure once again.

Lady Venus wasn't aware of this when she landed on her. She screamed and squealed from under the pokemon's paws like her flesh was already being torn apart. Suicune watched with curious eyes as the evil trainer. Annoyed, she placed her paw on her mouth to shut her up. Surprisingly, it worked.

Lady Venus paused. Then, "CUT THE CAMERA! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!" Sam and the cameramen worked to switch off every live camera and turn them the other way. Some of the Ciphers in the room were so frightened by what happened that they fled as soon as they were no longer needed, toppling expensive gear and scattering papers on their way out the door.

Suicune met gazes with every person left in the room. I was last on her list. When I caught her eye, she stepped off Lady Venus, who was too paralyzed to get to her feet, and over to me. The sword had worked wonders on her. No more dirt, no more scars, no more evil look to her. She was fully healed and happy, but at the moment there was nothing but seriousness in her posture.

Her front knees bent into a kneel. Taking the hint, I climbed atop of her. When I was safely secured, she hopped over to Wes. He had watched the whole thing with helpless eyes. Even now, as Suicune cut him free with her razor-sharp claws, it looked to him as if I had lost the battle and died. I pulled him onto Suicune and behind me, where it was finally my turn to ride up front. His warms arms held onto me tightly, making my heart race in excitement.

"We're ready," I told her. She nodded and leaped away from the bench, across the set, and out the door. Behind us, Lady Venus watched with agonized eyes. She had lost the battle, her pokemon, and her man. It was absolutely awesome to see.

Outside the news station, the entire population of the Under was waiting for us. The UFO was nowhere in sight. It had probably collapsed from trying to carry so many people from the platform to the next in a hurry. The thought of how many people were sitting at the bottom, stuck and unable to reach, was not pleasant. Wes and I watched as the people of the Under tried pressing button after button to summon it when they knew it wouldn't come.

Her steps as swift and soft as falling leaves, Suicune jumped off the platform and across the trench where the Stadium stood tall and proud. The door had been knocked open and broken at the hinges, giving her just enough room to dart inside. The people inside were already running away and down the stairs, arms flapping in the air, panicked. We ignored them and entered an elevator that had already broken, again, from people who were trying to flee us. She took a moment to estimate how much room she had and how high it was before leaping straight upwards and running up the walls like an overactive lizard. Wes and I had to lean forward and grab on as tightly as possible in order to keep from falling off.

Daylight suddenly flooded the dark tunnel. Suicune used her massive horn to break and sweep aside the metal gates that kept the elevator in place. The area was clear, free of both people and pokemon. It was there, a short walk in the distance, was Pyrite Town as well as Wes' bike.

We climbed off her and onto the sand that had been upturned by people running away. It was much warmer out here than it was down in the Under, but the sun was beginning to fade and the sky beginning to darken. Rock and ground pokemon were burrowing into the sand to start keeping warm before the cool desert air chilled them to their bones. Suicune looked to the two of us calmly.

"You know where Entei is?" I asked. She blinked in what I assumed was a yes. Her head bowed and she gently grazed her giant horn against my forehead. I returned the gesture though it wasn't anywhere near as majestic. Her smile was soft and mysterious. Then, leaving wet stains on the sand as she galloped, she disappeared into the setting sun.

"Thank goodness you guys distracted them when you did," Silva said with a mouth full of crackers. "Duking came down right when everyone was away and busted down the fence like it was paper mache." I smiled nervously. At least he didn't think that we abandoned him. To be honest, I'd totally forgotten he was down there. Thank Arceus for Duking.

"It was a chain link fence," the giant answered, putting some more spray cheese on the pile of crackers on his plate. His meaty fists were too strong to pick up one at a time so he had resorted to getting them in a messy pile then scooping them off the table into his hand before shoving the whole thing in his mouth. It was quite the sight, I can assure you. "What did you expect it to be made of? Titanium?"

"The Under must be empty by now," Wes guessed, sipping at some cold soda. "They've been discovered, so there's no way anyone would sit and wait to be arrested." That's true. All of them were probably gone. It made me wonder what they would do with that tiny town. Make it just another spot on the map for tourists? It wasn't my problem, though.

I had bigger things to worry about.

"Are you guys going to spend the night here?" Silva asked. "You still have to explain what happened before and after you last saw us."

"I suppose we do." Wes glanced at me. "Want to help me explain?"

"Not tonight," I said. The others watched with puzzled eyes as I stood up, leaving the plate of crackers they had given me untouched. Duking's place was nice and the food was probably good, but my stomach was too upset to take it all in. "I'm going to bed. Today was exhausting." Silva looked like he was going to ask me to stay but I was already out of the room and towards the back where Duking kept a spare king bed. No one cared to follow me but they waited until I was out of earshot to talk again.

The back room was clean by Pyrite standards. No dust on the floor, minimal rust stains on the wall, and a good amount of care put into making sure the bed wasn't littered with paint chips. It looked soft and comfortable with freshly washed sheets and comforters, but it wasn't attractive enough to get me to lie down. The window, however, looked more my area to sit and think. So I sat crisscross in front of the short window, propped my elbows up on the sill, and stared at the night sky.

My poor dratini was now the queen of the Shadow Pokemon. One would think I'd be the one to save her because I had this golden sword with me all the time, but that didn't work. The feather was supposed to slice her and it bounced off instead. My hands were still a bit sore from trying to hold onto it. Thank god the feather hadn't broken. I don't know what I'd do without my weapon. I had to be more careful with it. Another stunt with Serenity and it could break. And who in Orre could fix a skarmory feather? No one that Wes would know, I'm pretty sure.

Wes could've been in big trouble today. If I'd lost the battle with Lady Venus he'd more than likely be stuck with her. Like, forever. I can't imagine how he'd deal with that. Had he ever had to do that before? No, picturing him with a girl like her wasn't possible. Either way, it wouldn't matter now. She was gone, probably running across the desert right now in her high heels and gaudy dress. I wondered if she was here in town. Feh, what a stupid thought.

Something glimmered outside. I blinked. Was someone walking around here at three am with a flashlight? What an idiot, didn't they know that this town, regardless of how many Ciphers had been chased out, was still dangerous? They were bound to get mugged sooner or later. Not my problem. I didn't have time for petty thievery.

The glimmer came again. Ok, so it wasn't bright enough to be a flashlight. Maybe someone was checking their phone with the brightness turned all up all the way. You hardly see anyone with a phone that shone bright gold, however.

I leaned out the window. There it was: in the alley that lead to Team Cipher's hideout. It wasn't blinking in and out anymore. It was solid and brighter than before. I knew what it was.

Ho-oh's feather.

Wes and them were still talking in the main room. If I shouted for him to follow me, I'd scare away whoever had stolen it. That was it: it was go now or never, and there was no way we could lose something so valuable.

I slung my sword over my shoulder and nimbly jumped out the window. The night was quiet all except for the beating of my anxious heart. I was used to stifling my breathing while on the run from my parents and the overly attached pokemon. The only thing that would be hard to cover up was the crunching of my boots against the sand. I slipped them off, praying that there wouldn't be any broken glass in my path, and started off after them.

The feather hadn't moved since I'd last seen it. Thinking that they were just standing there trying to figure out how to get into the base, I stepped out of their line of sight and approached them from the right. They still didn't move. It was like they were just standing there, waiting. Could they not figure out how to get inside? Now that I was against the building nearest to the ally, I paused to listen.

Breathing. They were out of breath. They were running their hands along the wall, desperately looking for the keyhole. This was my chance. They were cornered.

"Stop right there." The cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of my head. "What do you think you're doing out so late, young lady?"

Suicune Was Purified!

Suicune Ran Away!

Rui Is Paralyzed!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	19. Danger Lurks In The Darkness!

Chapter 19

The man in the alley sucked in his breath in surprise. Behind me, the unknown assailant was using his free hand to grab the arm I used to wield the sword. He pinned it behind me and pressed my body against the chilled metal wall of the building I had once used for cover. "What do you think you're doing out so late, young lady?"

That voice! I've heard it before. But who? Who was it?! Think, Rui, think! The only other clue I had about them was that they had a ring on their ring finger: this guy was married. Annoyed that I didn't answer, he pressed my face into the wall harder with his gun. "Girls shouldn't be snooping around where they don't belong."

"Who are you?" I snapped. "Don't be a coward."

"Rui?" Wes' voice called from behind. My napper froze. "Rui where are you?"

"You got lucky this time," the voice behind me hissed. "If I didn't need you, you'd be dead right here, right now." Need me? He released me and started off into the night. It didn't matter how quickly I turned around, it was too dark to catch where he went or who he was. The feather, likewise, had disappeared. I swore in frustration. Even the alley was empty, and they hadn't even activated the lever to go inside. It was like they had vanished.

"There you are." I nearly had a heart attack when Wes placed his hand on my shoulder. He turned me to face him. "What were you doing?" His face was hard to read, but his voice said it all: he thought I was trying to run away again.

"The Ho-oh feather," I replied. "Someone had it. I saw them."

"You did?" Wes scanned the area, as if he could find them. "Where'd they go?"

"They ran when they heard you." My hand grazed the back of my head where the gun had been placed. "Thank god you did, too. One of them had a gun to my head." He placed his hand where I had mine. It hadn't come to my attention that I was shivering. A gun to my head was enough to make me nervous. What if he had just decided to finish me there? Stop thinking about it, it was over, I'm fine.

I followed him back inside through the window, which he shut and locked behind him. "We'll check the Under again tomorrow to make sure everyone is gone. If those two idiots are smart, they'll have ran the other way." He paused, waiting for a reply, which he didn't get. He saw me curl up on the bed, shivering.

A simple pull of a trigger: that was how close to death I was. Grandma and Grandpa would've been devastated. Wes, Duking, and Silva wouldn't have been able to get there in time. Probably the worst of it all, my family would probably be relieved. No more dealing with Rui, they'd think. No more annoying pokemon at their doorstep or police asking if she'd been abused. No more problems, that would be the end of that.

I felt Wes sit on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?" Terrible. Destroyed. Utterly devastated. Not in the mood to talk, mind you. "Well, this came in today." He set a phone on the side of my bed. It was an old flip phone, a lot like the one I had as a kid. Wait, was it the same brand? Huh. I wonder how he managed to get the one type I actually liked. I wouldn't let him see that though, at least not right now. "I'll let you sleep." He switched off the lights and lie down beside me.

Feh. There's no way sleep was going to come to me tonight. A whole night of depressing thoughts and tossing around was sure to follow. Now I was starting to feel like talking to Wes was a good idea. Why was it every time I decided to ignore him, it ended up biting me in the butt a short while later?

My phone buzzed. What the hell… I flipped it open. My cheeks were suddenly red hot with embarrassment.

It was a text from Wes. He had added his full name to his contact, the name that I had recited flawlessly to Lady Venus that day, and added a cute emoticon with sunglasses next to it. The message he sent me simply said, "Hai :3". Who goes around wearing that kind of tough face and texts like that? This guy was full of surprises.

"Hi," I responded, quietly punching the buttons so he didn't hear me writing a text and erasing it several times in frustration before sending the single word. He didn't need to cover up what he was typing; he knew exactly what to say.

"So how'd ya know my name?" Somehow I knew that topic would come up. Not like this, though. This was a complete surprise to me. Wes was right behind me, lying in the same bed, and he thought it'd be cool to randomly start texting?

Ok, it was cute.

"Grandma told me." It was getting harder and harder to want to ignore him.

"Unfair. She didn't tell me your full name :(". My face was hot now. I'm glad he was lying behind me so he didn't see it.

"Jessica."

"Rui Jessica Yurika?"

"Yeah." Now he took a moment to respond.

"It's cute ^.^". Then, punching buttons loudly so he could let me know he was still typing, "Venus had an obsession with me when I was working with Team Snagem."

Was… was he explaining why that girl was so attached to him? Why would he feel the need to do that unless… Unless he felt like he owed me the explanation? Oh god, my heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. He noticed I wasn't typing and added, "I'm still very single."

I twitched. What the hell was I supposed to say to that? It turns out there was no need for a response, because he sent yet another text. "Don't go off on your own again, alright?"

"I thought I could handle it," I replied, finally able to come up with something.

"Sometimes you can," he started on the text, "but we're partners." He paused. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be in the Under. Doesn't that prove how much I need you?" A warm weight enveloped me. Wes was wrapping his arms around my waist, head on on my shoulder. "You're not alone anymore," he whispered softly. "I'll protect you just like you protected me. You just have to trust me." Finished, he began to pull away.

I couldn't help it. My hands took both of his and kept them firmly on my waist. He paused, his heart doing a dizzying leap in his chest. "No, stay like that." There was a pause. "I'm cold." Probably should've noticed that we had yet to cover ourselves with the blankets, but it was the lie I was going with.

"Like…?" His body slowly moved back to where he was once positioned. Arms around my waist, chin on my shoulder, quivering slightly. Unlike me, he could control that. Soon as he was still as a board.

"Y-yeah. Just..." I adjusted myself to where I was comfortable. The pokemon trainer waited for me to situate before gradually situated himself as well. His hands tightened and released quickly, almost like a twitch.

"Then I'll stay like this." He pulled me upwards against his chest and gently pressed his legs against the back of mine. He was trying to cover up his racing heart by taking a deep breath, but I knew better. Now the calm, collected Wes was beginning to feel a little anxious himself. He wanted to say something, I could tell, but he couldn't muster up the courage to say it. That, or he was afraid of stuttering.

"Goodnight," I said softly. Wes took another deep breath.

"Goodnight, Rui." The two of us huddled closer one last time before relaxing and, eventually, falling asleep.

Hands down, that night was the best sleep I'd ever had. Usually whenever I slept it was patchy because of how many times I randomly woke up in the middle of the night and lie awake until sleep took over again. This was the first time I was able to go the whole night without waking up or, even better, having a single nightmare. There weren't any sweet dreams to take the nightmares place, but just being able to get a full rest was enough for me.

Wes didn't move in his sleep. Like, at all. He stayed in that one position the entire evening, breathing softly into my hair. Now that I think about it, I must've done the same because we both woke up in the same position. It would've been nicer to sleep longer, but Wes' phone was ringing off the hook in that jazzy ringtone I had heard before.

Grumbling, he sat up to answer it, keeping a hand on my arm. "Hello?" His was was groggy, almost drunk like. He must've fallen into an even deeper sleep than I did because when I woke up, I was up for good. He paused, listening to the mayor ramble on about something that was too faint for me to hear. He rubbed his face with his free hand and sighed. "Right. We'll keep an eye out." More rambling, then a click. He set the phone down and rested against the headboard. "He just noticed the feather was stolen," he relayed to me. "Taken in the middle of the night, just like you said."

"Makes sense." Man, I was worthless when it came to fighting with people. My blade could only purify Shadows now. Before it had helped me get out of that fight with the thug who wanted to steal the colosseum gear. Was it impossible to fight any of the Shadow's trainers anymore?

"Well, we have things to do." He stood up and brushed himself off. "I take it you're going to wear the clothes you slept in?" I blushed at the thought. He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm wearing the same thing, too." He stood up and brushed himself off before offering me a hand. I shyly took it. He helped me to my feet and smiled. It was such a soft grin; I felt myself beginning to fill from the warmth of it. The smile I returned must've seemed drunk because Wes chuckled at it.

"To the Under again?"

"I'M COMING WITH YOU!" Duking was suddenly in the room. Behind him, doubled over itself and torn right off the hinges by the force of his kick, the door skidded to a stop at the bed. I had jumped and rolled backwards to the other side, falling to the ground with a thud. Wes looked genuinely surprised but didn't move as Silva came rushing up to him with his fists balled at his sides.

"You heard the man, we're coming with!" My arms were tangled around me and my leg had popped painfully but I still managed to look over the edge of the bed with a scowl.

"Was it really worth kicking down the door?!" I yelled at Duking. The man smiled, his mustache wet from sweat.

"Thought it'd be a nice surprise. Needed a new door anyway."

"You two were thinking of joining, then," Wes guessed, kicking his toes on the ground to expel any rust that gathered on his boots. "You'd be walking back into the situation that got you captured."

"Didn't you say the Under was deserted now?" Silva crouched slightly, ready to burst with energy. "If anyone is down there, I doubt they'd be able to take the four of us on! Rui the Light! Wes the trainer! Duking the muscle! And Silva the handsome." He said the last words seductively, blowing a kiss against the far wall as to not seem like he was hitting on any of us.

"You're brain dead."

"Am not!" Silva shouted in my direction. He pointed his finger at me. "You know it yourself! That sword can't harm real people, and that's exactly what we're trying to find down there! So you might as well shut yo trap and let us join you!"

"I suppose two extra helpers wouldn't hurt." Silva slapped Wes on the back.

"That's the spirit, pretty boy!" The able pokemon trainer narrowed his eyes dangerously at him, but Silva had already zipped out of the room, hooting a victory chant. "I love our team! What are we going to call ourselves? The Fantasy Foursome? No, no, that just sounds weird! Anyways, there's trouble afoot!"

"What did you do to him?" Wes asked the question like a statement. Duking shrugged, a sardonic smile.

"I let him have a cup of coffee to sample. When I returned from the bathroom, he had already downed three more." He shrugged. "The kid likes it. Why would I try and stifle his fun?"

"Whatever the cause," Wes said, changing the subject. "The Under might have a few looters left behind. We have to remain cautious or risk getting him captured. Again. And I don't quite feel like helping him if he wanders into trouble like he has before."

"I'll keep him under control."

Wes and I had to step around the crumpled door to leave the room. Duking lead the way to outside, where the morning sun was just illuminating Pyrite Square. Trainers milled about aimlessly, paying us no particular attention. None of them had crossed paths with us in the Under, so it was safe to assume the vast majority of crooks and thieves had taken off elsewhere in Orre. Only pokemon tilted their confused heads at us as we entered the dark alley that lead to the Under.

Silva was in the alley, trembling from excitement. When Wes put in one of the spare Shadow Pokemon he kept on him in case a door like this appeared again, Silva was the first one inside. The elevator squealed in alarming protest as he jumped up and down on it. Duking rolled his eyes and hefted the boy over his shoulder, where he squirmed.

"Hey, I'm not doing anything wrong! Put me down!"

"You're being more annoying than a drunk spinda," Duking snorted. "You're staying with me until you crash from the caffeine." Wes and I boarded the elevator. As he pressed a few buttons on the overused panel, Duking adjusted his friend onto his other shoulder.

"I'm never gonna crash!" Silva objected, finally going limp. He propped his head up on an elbow that he pressed into Duking's back. He stuck out his lower lip in an annoyed pout. "You never let me do anything fun!" The elevator gave an unnerving lurch as it set into motion before loudly descending. This time as we fell I was almost certain that this elevator was louder and more unstable. Could've been because of how many people rode it out of the Under in yesterday's commotion. It did have quite a few dusty footprints on it.

It stopped at the bottom, opening the door only halfway before screeching to a painful stop. Duking had to force it open with both arms so we weren't confined inside. Silva looked a little more shaken now that he knew the way out might not be fully functional. He swallowed his jitters and stuck close behind Duking as we exited. Wes, though it wasn't really needed, took my hand to help me cross over the border from elevator to Under. I've already turned red enough, so this time, I was able to keep my face a neutral color.

Empty. Every buildings, every street, every corner of the Under had been completely flushed out by yesterday's panic. The cage were Silva had been trapped was run down, pushed aside by massive crowds to get to the elevator. The lights in the buildings had been nearly all been busted out. A few that had been forgotten to be shut off flickered. I doubt anyone would be able to help us in the shop or the pokemon center. We could probably just use whatever we needed, though.

"How did you know that Venus girl, anyhow?" Silva asked, bringing the silence to a halt. Wes and Duking both looked back to the boy. "You know, the girl with the dress and-"

"She's an admin for Team Cipher," Wes interrupted, looking back to the road. "I was an admin for Team Snagem, so the two of us worked hand-in-hand with Shadow Pokemon. I visited here for a special interview on their stupid news network and she fell in love with me during it. After that, they had to get people to stop her from leaving the Under to come see me in the Snagem hideout. Contrary to what you guys must be thinking, this is only my third time down here."

"So she thought you were still with Snagem when she asked for Suicune," I guessed.

"No, she just does whatever she can to try and sway me."

"Makes sense," Duking said. "She's not the only one who has their eyes on you." I expected him to show some sort of acknowledgement at me, maybe a wink, but he kept his eyes forward. Instead it was Silva who nudged me, shaking his fists in front of him in unnecessary excitement.

The edge of that gorge that lead to the news station was still empty. the little ufo was no longer there, so we'd probably need another way to cross. Jumping it wasn't going to be the right move to make.

"Espeon," Wes started, "can you get us across?"

"Es…" she replied softly.

"Two at a time, then." He pointed to Silva and Duking. "Start with these two." Espeon bowed her head. The red gem on her forehead ignited in brilliance. As Wes returned Umbreon to his pokeball, the two Pyrite Townies started hovering. Duking looked worried, but Silva was quivering with excitement. He wanted to say something, but it looked like he couldn't speak. I guess the effects of psychic powers restricted their movement when carrying them places. It was the same when Espeon had saved me from falling off the edge of Mt. Battle back when we were battling Entei.

Before they knew it, both of them were on the other side. The psychic pokemon jumped onto Wes' shoulder. When her gem started glowing again, I felt my limbs go numb. Well, not numb. More like trapped in place, a lot like being stuck in a rubbery cast. I could blink and breathe, but it was almost as labored as being put in a crate. The only thing keeping me from freaking out was Wes, who had snuck his hand in mine before we crossed.

Wes was the first one to touch down on the ground. When he was there, his foot caught on the ledge and he went falling onto the dirt. Espeon lost her balance and went falling with him. The focus broke and suddenly they were on the dirt, but I was too far off the edge to fall like them. I watched all of their faces turn to horror as they the ledge masked them from view and the darkness swallowed me whole.

Rui Registered Wes In Her PDA!

Wes And Rui Are Falling In Love!

Rui Tripped And Fell!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	20. Toppling Stairs, Bubbles And Explosions!

Chapter 20

I came to a crashing halt when I realized that Wes had refused to let go. He hung over the side of the massive ravine, Duking and Silva holding each of his legs in a crushing grip. Both his hands were on my arm, the crushing grip nearly painful. As all four of us stilled, the look of relief on his face made my heart skip a beat.

"Thank the god pokemon," he whispered. Gently, he held out the hand that had a looser grip on me. "Give me your other hand. I can't hold just one with these gloves on."

"R-right." Our hands firmly locked, Silva and Duking started pulling us back to safety. The dirt scratched at my legs and made my eyes water, but I was thankful for it. There was no way I'd like the dirt at the bottom any more than the dirt right here. It was almost tempting to kiss it.

Wes took me into my arms and pulled me close to him. His grip was crushing, but not enough so to where I couldn't breathe or talk. I didn't do either, though. The suddenness of it all had already halted both of those functions. He didn't seem to be breathing until I took a breath myself. He pulled away and cupped both my cheeks.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His eyes were masked from behind his reflective goggles, so there was no real way to assess whether he was concerned or just asking to make sure I hadn't had a heart attack.

"Just fine." It was new, sitting this close to Wes. I could feel his breath on my face. He didn't chew gum, as least not from what I had seen, but it smelt like cinnamon. Both his hands made it hard to turn left or right. If he leaned just a little closer he might've even- and now I'm blushing.

"Good," he said. "Sorry to put you in that situation." He hugged me once more, a sigh escaping him, and then stood up. His hand never left mine, even as we were both on our feet. Silva and Duking had been smiling in our direction, but as soon as they had been spotted, their kissers were wiped clean. Espeon hopped up onto my shoulder, nudging my cheek with her forehead.

The new station had been abandoned. Cameras had been overturned, papers scattered here and there, even the desk, which was once a stone figure that had been seemingly carved out of the ground, had been broken and tossed aside. Then again, that could've been during my battle with Suicune. It had gone by in such a flash, it was hard to recall every detail. The stage lights had been left on. If it wasn't for the fact that every camera had been shattered, then I would've felt like we were on the air.

"She's still here," Wes said. He had showed me to the other side of the room, where a staircase traveled under the wall. Using his free hand, he knelt down beside it and picked up what I thought was a shattered piece of a camera. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be tip of Lady Venus' brass moon. "She didn't leave the under, she's heading downwards. There's going to be others."

"How do you know?" Duking asked.

"Wherever she goes, she needs people to go with so she can boss somebody around. Or she just wants people to admire her." umbreon broke out of his pokeball at the words. I instinctively unsheathed my sword.

"What are we gonna fight with?" Silva was trembling from elation.

"You get to stand by and watch us fight." Duking clapped his hand on Silva's head. "Out of all of us, you have been kidnapped the most. So if you so much as leave my side, I'm going to have to bring you back up to the surface myself. Got it?"

Silva suddenly didn't look so excited.

The stairs lead to an underground room that had a lot of walls in disarray here and there, as if they were separated to rooms. They were, but to get to these rooms, you had to go through maze upon maze to explore each one. Great, it was Pyrite's crappy hideout all over again. Luckily, Wes had a pass that allowed us past all those rooms and down a hallway that automatically lead downwards again.

This time, I wasn't disappointed. I was completely awestruck when the four of us had to step out onto creaky metal grates and look down maybe six stories to a mess of stairs, hard concrete, sewage, and four trainers. All of them looked up at us and automatically knew we were intruders. Naturally, four Shadow Pokemon appeared and trailed behind them, hooting a war cry.

"I got the trainers," Duking announced, charging after them. The metal grate shuddered dangerously as stomped towards them.

"I'll take the normal pokemon," Wes said.

"That leaves me the Shadows."

"And I'lll… sit right here." Silva dropped to his butt on the foot of the stairs and half-heartedly waved us on, a sour look on his face.

Duking had already cornered the trainers when we came across our first set of pokemon. Turns out Wes didn't really need to get any normal pokemon, because all there was were Shadows. Gligar, Sneasel, Piloswine, and Stantler. We were about halfway down the second set of stairs so there was no real way to take them on other than one at a time.

That sure as hell didn't stop the gligar. When I thrust to hit Sneasel in the stomach, he jabbed a poisonous tail at me. I had been attacked by a Shadow Pokemon before, a dunsparce, and it hadn't been pleasant. That accident was about to happen again, and even though I covered my head with my hands, I didn't feel ready to be cut open again.

A snag ball fell on my head a moment later, an angered Shadow Pokemon squealing from the inside. Oh, thank Arceus. Wes could still catch them. I threw him a look of gratitude before slashing diagonally across Sneasel's stomach. Now that she was purified, she waved her claws at me almost menacingly before taking off like a spider monkey down the stairs and out a door almost too far down for me to see.

Stantler wasn't handling well on the grates with his hooves. I considered taking him on now while he was weak, but Piloswine was already aiming a double-edge in my direction. Just as he leapt, almost so far that if I hadn't stopped him with my sword, he would've knocked me right over the edge. He dropped to the grates, a ripple of trembling following before he came to a halt. He looked left, right, then up to me.

"Swine?" he pondered. This pokemon didn't seem to have any idea where he was. Regardless, he was still a trainer's pokemon, so Wes had no choice but to catch him there and find a place to release him later. Stantler was almost willing to be purified so he could get off his feet. One swipe, one pokeball, and we were done.

"Thank god," I whispered. The staircase took a slight jerk to the left. Wes and my hands automatically gripped the railing. One story below us, Duking had just drop kicked a trainer. He fell down a full set of stairs before hitting the railing at the bottom, giving the entire structure another jerk. One more trainer stood up to the bodybuilder. Though he was a giant as well, he seemed nervous to go up to our comrade.

"Duking," Wes started, "you might want to be careful with the-"

Blatantly ignoring him, Duking swung a hook at his foe. The man took the hit to his left cheek, sputtering from the hit. The force of the blow knocked him over the railing and down to the story below, where he hit the next railing. Each time the gargantuan trainer hit the railing, it would only flip him onto the one below, and the one after that, and the one after that until he hit the cement at the bottom, unconscious. The others must've done the same, because the three other foes were stacked on the floor as well. They were unconscious, but only a few bruised ribs seemed to be the worst of their injuries. The flimsy stairs were now dented and broken in places from his fight. When he threw his fists up in the air, it gave a sickening drop when one of the stairs collapsed.

All three of us were frozen in place. These stairs were going to fall. We had to get back to the top, where Espeon could easily help us down, like she had with the ravine. But even lifting a foot seemed to upset the poorly-built arrangement. We were stuck.

"Finally," Silva said, standing up. "We can finally-"

"Silva, no!" Duking's cry came too late. As soon as his foot touched the grate, the entire staircase whined in protest. The metallic snapping of metal preluded before the skeleton of sharp, dangerous metal folded downwards like an accordion.

Instinct took over. I spread my arms out to the sides. A burst of powerful energy left me through my extended fingers, striking Wes and Duking right in the chest. When the ground was taken out from under me I somehow remained levitating. Wes and Duking had their hands over their head, eyes squeezed shut. Yet, as if I had allowed them a bit of my power, they remained levitating. Silva pushed off the grate and back into the staircase, where he remained untouched by golden light as it enveloped my comrades in bubbles.

Now the staircase was toppling into the pond of sewage. The bolts keeping it in place from the bottom snapped and fell with it. The trainers on the cement were doused with bright green waste, jolting them in their sleep. We were just high enough to avoid being soaked. It came to an abrupt halt on the waste before giving in under its' own weight. The staircase was once a flimsy structure, but now it was an uneven pile of broken and twisted metal.

"What did you do, Rui?" Silva was sitting on the edge of what used to be the top of the stairs. It took me a while to realize what he was talking about. Duking, Wes and I were hovering. In golden bubbles. That I had somehow made. "And why didn't you do it to me?! C'mon, man! I'm bored as hell over here and you gotta give me the cold shoulder?"

"No doubt about it," Duking called, his voice muffled by the bubble. "Rui's leveled up her Light powers." He kicked his legs. Instead of sitting on the bottom of the bubble like the laws of physics suggested, he instead hovered in the center. He tried swimming but it didn't seem to want to budge.

"Try popping it!" Silva called.

"Do you have a death wish?" I asked.

"Nevermind that," Wes interrupted. "Can you get us down?"

"Um. Yeah, I guess." We started descending. At first I thought it was because I had thought about trying to get down, but it was actually happening because I was looking at the ground. Whenever I looked at something else, say Silva, I started approaching him like a lazy bumblebee. The others attempted the same but I was in full control of it.

The bubbles popped as soon as we touched ground. Duking and I had a hard time landing on our feet, but Wes had already mastered the technique. Silva started waving at us.

"Think you can get me down there, oh mighty bubble lord?" I looked at my hands front of back. Maybe if I just pointed at said bubble-

A surge of golden energy flowed from my torso and out through my fingers, hitting Silva right in the chest. The golden bubble wrapped around him, thin as saran wrap yet strong enough to lodge itself in the tiny archway to the next level and slip out, sending the young boy spinning inside. He seemed to be out of control of him flipping, but the lad was laughing like a child.

Turns out I didn't need to say bubble.

"Awesome!" Silva called. He was still spinning when the bubble hit the ground and popped, dropping him like a fish on a pier. He held two thumbs up in the air, eyes still whirling. "Better than any ride I've ever been on."

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't need the bubbles," Duking muttered, kicking him in the shoulder. "Get up. You're not here to lay around."

"You'll need to keep that in mind next time we're in trouble," Wes said in a low voice, probably so Silva didn't get so excited about being able to ride in it again. "It could come in handy for keeping enemies in place as well."

"No doubt," I replied. The cement floor we had landed on was cracked from the fall. Luckily the four trainers Duking had knocked unconscious had been out of the way, or else we would've gotten in some real trouble. As we passed them and across the room where the only exit was placed, the smell of gasoline started to fill the air. My first thought was that the sewage contained it, but when we went through the archway and into the other room, we saw that a train on the other side had been filled up in a hurry and still dripped from one of the many tanks. Though soaked, they looked fully operable.

The train looked like it could go either right or left. The portal to the right read EXIT in large red letters on a sign above the track. The one on the left read LAB. As we boarded, Wes helping me once again, I took a gander at the inside. It was a segmented vehicle. Each end piece was a small control room large enough for maybe five people. The center segment was filled with empty and beat up cages. Yep, this is where they hauled off Shadow Pokemon. The though of cramming pokemon in those cages made my stomach twist in pity. What poor creatures…

"To the lab then," Wes said, pressing a few buttons on the side of the train that faced left. "I can only imagine what we're going to find there." I could. Serenity. It was only a matter of time before I saw her again and had to purify her. But how? With this blade? The blade that had nearly shattered when I tried last time? Maybe I had to get stronger. That's it. If there was any chance of saving her, it was to get better. Make this blade stronger. There was no other option.

The train came to life, sputtering and coughing like an old man. It jerked forward then started picking up pace until we were under the portal and into the tunnel, which brightened with several dusty, broken, or flickering bulbs. The front of the train had both headlights functional but of different brilliance.

There was little time to make for idle conversation. The train slowed just as soon as it had made it to max speed. Before too long, the tunnel opened and we found ourselves back in a room that resembled the one left behind. This one had an exit also labeled LAB. We stepped onto the platform.

"There you are." Lady Venus stepped out into the open. Behind her a group of ten or more thugs dressed in black power ranger costumes emerged in an orderly fashion. When Lady Venus came to a stop in front of us, her men saluted and held still, soldiers ready for combat. We stepped back, ready to board the train, but others had snuck behind us and blocked the way. "Good to see the famous intruders back to meddle some more."

"You better step back before I cut you down," I threatened, adjusting my grip on my sword.

"As if you can," she taunted. "We don't need to talk much further. I'm going to need you to hand over the sword and come with us, dear."

"Me." She didn't want Wes this time? I know that having the Light as a prisoner would come in handy, by why not capture her sweetheart as well?

"Yes, you. We won't be needing the others." She held her hand out. "Now be a good little girl and do as I say." I narrowed my eyes dangerously.

"Make me." The look on her face turned bored.

"Oh. It has to be that way, then?" She waved her hand towards the train. As if rehearsed, the minions behind Wes, Duking, and Silva lurched forward and secured a grip around them. It took only one for Wes and Silva, but four for Duking. After a moment of stuggle, it became clear that we weren't going anywhere soon. All of them had their wrists bound by strong ropes and heavy knots. I started to turn back to them, but I heard a gun cock in Venus' direction. She had a pistol aimed between my eyes. "You may be able to change our pokemon, but you can't attack us. Good thing guns are still around. Makes it more interesting when situations like this happen." I faced her.

"Fight like a man," I snapped.

"We're not men." She stepped forward. "What does that make you? The referee? I don't think so." She jerked her hand out again. "The sword, if you will."

"Don't give them shit!" Duking shouted.

"Quiet!" Venus hissed. "You are in the presence of royalty! You will speak when spoken to!" She lowered the barrel and shot at his feet. He jumped out of the way just in time before his leg was punctured.

"Stop," I hissed, standing between me and them.

"Only you can make this stop, godchild." Godchild? "The sword, or their lives." The men behind me shifted. Each of them pulled out a knife the size of my hand and pressed it to their hostage's throat. The three of them had to lift their chins and lean backwards to avoid being cut. Silva made the slightest movement of struggle and was sliced slightly. A bead of blood ran down his throat.

"Hold on, please." Panic started to set in. "I'll go with you, but I keep the sword on me. IT's not like I can harm any of you anyway."

"Don't reason with them!" Wes shouted. "Don't worry about us!"

"You keep your mouth shut," Lady Venus snapped, aiming the pistol at him. "Out of all of the people here, you are easily the worst! Betraying me for some kid! There's a good chance she doesn't have the experience I do with men!"

"I keep the sword on me," I continued, "you set them free."

"How about you give me the sword and come with me, or I kill all of them?"

"We're negotiating. If you give me a moment-" She shot at Wes, cutting open his cheek as it grazed past. My heart nearly burst from fear I held my hands up in the air, the sword in them. "Fuck if I care!" I threw it at her. The golden blade shimmered before clattering to the floor, stopping at Venus' feet colored metallic silver.

"I said don't worry about me!" Wes shouted. "I don't care! Don't go with them!" I didn't have the heart to look back at him. As Lady Venus picked up the sword, she looked at it front and back, a smile creeping up her lips.

"Good girl, keeping your honey safe." She pointed my blade at me. "Get her." I didn't even try to resist when two burly minions grabbed me by the arms and pinioned them behind my back. They pushed me right in front of Venus, who leaned down to sneer in my face. "How's it feel to be the helpless one now?"

"I did my part," I reasoned. "Now, keep yours."

"You don't know how this goes, do you?" She turned to the men that kept my friends captive. "Get them on the train! I have no need for them anymore."

"Don't take her!" I heard Wes shout. The panic in his voice was growing. "I'm the one who has the snag sleeve! Take me instead of her!" The sound of struggle was behind me. I looked back and saw that Wes was being held back by two more men, each of which was struggling to keep him in place. Silva and Duking watching with sorrowful eyes.

"Get them out of my sight." The men pushed the three of them on the train. Only Wes was unwilling to comply. It took a couple seconds and a lot of struggling, but finally, all of them had been boarded. Venus' men stuck a crowbar in both doors of the train so it wouldn't open. I could hear my friends trying to open them from the inside, still bound at their wrists. "Get the train going, I want them to have a running start."

"What-" As one of her minions pressed buttons on a keypad, setting the train into motion, Venus pulled a match from her dress and lit it. "NO!" I kicked at her but my captors were stronger. They pulled me away and slammed me into the cold cement, where I felt them bounding my wrists with handcuffs. "DON'T!" I shouted at her from my awkward angle on the floor. "I'LL DO ANYTHING! DON'T KILL THEM!" The train set in motion and took off down the tracks, but they were still trapped inside.

Lady Venus dropped the match onto the tracks, which caught on fire before launching towards the tunnel, where they illuminated the darkness. I heard the sound of metal clashing and the engine whining before stray debris struck me in the temple and I fell unconscious.

Rui Used Bubble!

Rui's Team Has Been Protected!

Venus Used Ember!

It's Super Effective!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	21. Stubbornness Runs Through Our Team!

Chapter 21

My head throbbed. I rolled over onto my side and curled up into a ball, where I pressed my hands to my forehead. When I used my knees to press my hands harder against my skull, it felt better. What didn't feel good was the cold metal floor beneath me. Well, it didn't feel good against my body, against my head, oh it was glorious. Almost like an ice pack. It didn't smell that good, though. Smelt like hand sanitizer and rubber gloves.

Oh, Arceus. Now I remembered what happened. Giving up my sword, being kidnapped, and watching as Lady Venus set fire to the train that Duking, Silva, and Wes. It came back to me right away, but my body was too heavy to react to it. It took a while, some head pressing, rearranging of thoughts, and a few drunken blinks to snap to it.

I was lying on a bed frame. There was no mattress, no sheets, not even a pillow. It was like whoever set me there had intentionally made it so I wasn't comfortable. Congrats, I wasn't. Thankfully they still left me in my clothes. Most films I'd seen where people get kidnapped, they change into some other clothes. In my case, they left them on the foot of the bed. A purple dress will laces down the left side and a flower crocheted at the bottom. They also left a pair of matching heels at the bottom. Even underwear, socks, and a bra.

The room was empty. It looked like a hospital room, but without the machines. there were outlets, a television, some seats to sit in, but the single most important feature about it was the window. I ran over to it and swung it open, ready to jump out. Thank Arceus I stopped to look, or else I would've fallen five stories to my death. This building stood alone in the middle of godforsaken nowhere. The desert was wide, windy, and empty. Even Mt. Battle was nowhere to be found.

"Dammit," I hissed, slamming the window shut and looking around. There was a door, but further inspection noted that it was locked from the outside. The outside. That meant this place was more a prison then it was a hospital. I have to admit, however, that they weren't completely cruel. Another door lead to a bathroom, equipped with a shower, bath, and even toothbrushes and combs. What, was I at a hotel for criminals?

"You're awake then." I spun around. A man had just entered my room and shut the door behind him. He was maybe six feet tall, his giant boots giving him another three inches. His sunglasses obscured his eyes. His black hair had been greased back except for one stray lock that stood out at an angle from his forehead, bending several different directions before coming down over his right eye. If it wasn't for the lab coat, I might been able to tell if he was muscular or perhaps scrawny, but it had been padded so much it was impossible to tell. He bent down on his knees to meet my eyes. "You're the famous Rui I've been told about. I'm Dr. Ein. You can call me Ein."

"How about you stand tall and talk to me like a normal human before I break those glasses in half?" He paused, expressionless, before adjusting himself as I had instructed.

"There's no need for hostility. You're here as a guest."

"A prisoner," I corrected.

"In a way, yes. But most prisoners don't get these luxuries." He gestured to the bathroom.

"Then show me the way out."

"You are free to roam the campus when you are properly dressed." I narrowed my eyes at him. There was some sort of trick to what he was saying, wasn't there? Was something just waiting out the door to attack me? "It looks as if you don't believe me. What I meant to say is you are free to roam all around this building until testing is over."

"Testing."

"Yes. I'm going to need to figure out how you got those powers of yours before you return to your friends." That wasn't it. He wouldn't force me here unless there was something else he had to do. Something that wasn't just 'testing.' Maybe the tests were painful.

"Where are we?" I asked. On the wall to the bathroom, a map of the Orre region had been posted. He took a pen out of his front pocket and marked a small dot southeast of the Outskirt Sand, almost off the borders of Orre altogether. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"It's the truth," he promised. "What's the point in lying to you now?" He had a point. Even if I escaped, it would be too far to walk any direction from here. I had seen it myself. We were in the middle of nowhere.

"So you're telling me that I can roam this entire building," I started, "but you won't let me out until your testing is done."

"That's the truth." He crossed his heart with his right hand. Yeah, I'm sure it's the truth. Not. There was more to this than he was saying. I was still a prisoner. They kept me far from civilization against my will. But then again, what would fighting him accomplish? If I played nice and stuck to the rules, I might be confined to this room forever. I just had to do some snooping around.

"Fine." I turned my back on him, grabbed my clothes from the bed, and threw them on the sink to the bathroom.

"Good, good. Testing starts this afternoon at two. I expect you to be at the testing room by then."

"You expect me to find it on my own?" I snapped.

"No," he said, looking almost hurt. He held out his wrist. There was a watch on it that had the drawing of a raikou behind the hands. "This is one of my favorite items. Whenever I get lost, it gives me instructions to where I need to go. Like a GPS for walking. I want you to have it until you've got the layout of this place down." I stared at him. A way to keep track of me, more like it. Whatever, if I really needed to be unseen, I'd drop it.

He unsnapped it front his wrist and set it on my clothes. "Another thing. If you fail to show up for testing, I'll have to keep taking away your luxuries. The first thing to go is usually the bathroom. Then the bed. Then the-"

"I don't even have a bed," I pointed out.

"Oh, my. Did they forget to give you that? I'll get them on it right away." He put a meaty hand on the top of my head. It took everything I had in me not to punch him in the gut. "Take care, and be sure to be safe. Not everything in this building is meant to be played with." I wanted to ask him what he meant but he was already walking out of the room. He shut the door behind him, but after listening closely, it came to my attention that he left it unlocked. I checked it just to be sure. Yep, I was free.

The shower started up with a squeak of the handle but the water was instantly warm. The bottom of the shower had a mat placed on it to prevent slipping. Even though this place seemed to be full of adults, the mat was speckled with tiny colorful fish. The door was closed but the thought of being naked in a bizarre place with criminals walking around nearly turned the shower off. Common sense took over and I started undressing.

I hated it here.

Were the others okay?

And if they were, were they looking for me?

Wes stood from the bed, slipping on his jacket. Dark burn markings on his back rubbed against the course fabric that he winced at before slowing and positioning himself at an odd angle to fit the rest of it on. When it had been fitted snuggly, he picked up his goggles from the side table. "I said I'm fine!"

The nurse on the other side of the room had just shut the door behind her. "Sir, your injuries need time to heal-" Wes stood in front of her, toe to toe, and looked down at her. She gulped up at him. Though he was only a few inches taller, he looked angry enough to try and force his way through. "Sir, you have second degree burns. We have to treat them before you-"

Wes leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. The malevolent look in his eyes could turn ordinary people to stone. Tossing her hands in the air, the nurse stepped to the side. Wes opened the door and started outside. He looked left, determined that was not the way out, then right, where Duking's fist hit him in the temple and knocked him to the floor, unconscious.

"S-s-sir!" The nurse stammered, leaning down to the battered trainer and putting a hand to his forehead.

"He ain't going to die, ma'am," Duking assured. "Let me carry him back into his room." He dropped to a knee and picked up Wes as if he only weighed as much as a few grapes. Once comfortably secured, the bodybuilder walked over to his bed and dropped him on it. Wes had been knocked out so hard that he didn't make a noise to let Duking know the fall had hurt.

The nurse walked in, shaken. "I don't approve of your ways," she proclaimed.

"Hey, you know how bad his injuries are. It was either knock him out or let him leave here. Now tell me, can you fix him?"

"It's only burns." She walked over to Wes and started undoing his jacket to get a better look at the damage. "There's no need for a transplant. Just a few days of treatment and then he can leave."

"Few days, huh."

"If I may pry, how did you three get such burns?" Duking regardered her with an unreadable stare. Once the three of them had been trapped on the train, Duking had heard me yelling from behind. It took a second to guess what they were doing, and a fraction of a second for Duking to charge at the sealed door to the train, throwing them through before the train itself exploded into shrapnel. Had they still been on it, he doubted they would've gotten out with such mild injuries, let alone alive. It had been Duking who carried the others up to the surface using Espeon's psychic powers to reach the doorway, and it had been Duking who carried them out of the Under, up through the elevator and outside, where he had collapsed. From there he guessed that the people of Pyrite had called for help and carried them to the hospital.

It hadn't been easy. When busting down the door, Duking had sprained his shoulder, which was supporting his arm in a sling. He hadn't felt the pain until he had woken in the hospital; the adrenaline rush he experienced carrying his friends to the surface had numbed him to it. Even carrying Wes had seemed like an idle task with the current pain killers they had him on.

"We went where we weren't supposed to," he said simply.

"Well, I hope you won't do it again." She walked over to the door. "Return to your room. The doctor will be in soon to check on you."

"How soon? I'd like to check on Silva."

"The boys' injuries are the least threatening," the nurse explained. "He shall be better in the morning." Good, Duking thought. Silva was still young, he didn't want him riddled with scars or ugly deformities.

"Thank you." He stepped up to the door. Before exiting, he leaned down to her height. "If Wes wakes up again, don't hesitate to call." She looked like she was ready to turn him down. Then, after prolonged thought, she sighed and nodded.

"I will do that."

Rui Met Ein!

Ein Used Intimidate!

Rui Is Unaffected!

Wes Woke Up!

Wes Used Outrage!

Duking Used Chop!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	22. Update! Please Read!

Hey Readers!

Sorry about the sparse updates! I've hit a major writing block. On top of that, I'm just about to start college again. It might be awhile before the next couple updates, but I promise I will do my best to finish this fanfic! Leave a follow and a favorite!

Your Favorite Author,

Mew Ike


	23. Mew Ike HAS RETURNED! PLOT TWIST HERE!

Chapter 24

I stepped into the underbrush. The cameras on the side of the building adjusted ever so slightly, lens focusing in and out. Except for the storm raging outside, sand pecking away at the bulletproof glass dome, the garden was silent. No pokemon. No humans. Just the obnoxious sound of cameras pivoting on their rusting metal arms.

I ducked lower quickly, mimicking the movement of having my legs swept out from underneath me. The cameras followed my movement to a key, almost as if they were tied to me by a long strand of fishing wire. I was the center of attraction for more than twenty cameras. These were the only ones within range of eyesight. The others were probably focusing in and out past the mist that settled over the stadium like a blanket to get a better look. The mist masked how tall the dome was, but from what I could tell, it was probably large enough to accommodate several Groudons carrying Wailords on their backs. That didn't mean it was hard to find and pinpoint my location.

It had been a full week since Ein and his comrades had abducted me and forced me to live here at the Shadow Pokemon Lab. From the morning to the evening my days were filled with non-stop effort at finding my way to freedom. The first two or three days I thought it was easy to creep past scientists and pokemon trainers. It was almost like they were doing their best to ignore me and look the other way when I was tip toeing from wall to wall, room to room. That was before I realized that this building had cameras. Everywhere. At three three per wall. Some were easy to spot: the ones in the garden were the old devices that scanned the room left and right with lazy, systematic sweeps of the room. Others were just pinpricks on the wall that could barely see much besides anyone that walked right in front of them. They had seemed harmless.

Until they started following me.

It had just been today, the week anniversary of when I had been captured, that they kept their attention in my direction. Wherever I went, no matter how well I was hidden, the cameras were set on me like a hungry cat on a caged bird. The reason why this sudden change escaped me. I had been doing Ein's tests without defiance nor complaint. His tests were simple. Sometimes he had me run on a treadmill with wires taped across the crown of my head. Other times he would administer sight and hearing tests. The most bizarre of his tests had been the day he had asked me to try and read his mind or lift small objects without touching them. I had expected being cut open and experimented on, but what he had for me was a much better alternative. Hence why I was so compliant.

The cameras made it hard to feel comfortable in this building. Not that it had been comfortable to start. They provided me meals, clothes, toiletries, and whatever I had asked for. I had a room, a bathroom, a view of outside and several other nice effects, but I was still a captive. A hostage. I was still trapped here against my will with no foreseeable escape. And now, with hundreds of eyes on me, the feeling of being a prisoner only intensified.

Regardless of being prisoner, Ein had no problem allowing me to explore the building. It had taken four days to see everything the five floors of the building had to offer. Offices, dining halls, storage closets, bathrooms, bedrooms, even classrooms. Almost all of them had someone in it, but to my surprise, none of them contained pokemon. That meant they kept them elsewhere. And where else could that be? Obviously, the basement, which no one allowed me see. There had been times I had tried to snatch passes from Ciphers only to find them attached by uncuttable wires or hitch rides down only to board and be escorted out at ground level. It was impossible to get down there.

I stood up, brushed off the dew from my sweater, and started back to the door. Though my eyes were set on the path, I could see the cameras following me out of the corners of my eyes. Even when I shut the door and rolled the blinds, I knew they were still focused on me.

I started down the hallway. The instant my foot touched the wooden floor, every camera nearly broke off their mounts to look my way as quickly as they could manage. There weren't people behind these cameras controlling them. Somehow, these devices were detecting where I was. It could've been something they put on my clothes. It could've been the sound of my footsteps. Whatever it was, I didn't like it.

The watch on my wrist sounded three bells twice. It was time for Ein's daily checkups. I'm glad I was in the garden instead of my room or else I would've been late. One hallway to the left and across a wide room later, I was in the testing room.

I stopped at the doorway. Ein stood in the center of the room holding a skarmory feather that billowed and breathed the Haze. It was so thick, his hands were masked behind the layer of darkness. The shadow bled to the floor where it curled around Ein's feet idly before making one full rotation and shooting straight to Serenity, who stood beside him.

There was no longer any lines or markings on her body. She was nothing but a black silhouette with pulsing red eyes and bright yellow teeth. When I entered, she wheeled on me, horns now long and corkscrewed to a fine tip. Her tail was barbed with what looked like thick black knives. The end of her tail had become a club that resembled a qwilfish. Every ounce of Haze that fell from the sword was absorbed by her like a giant magnet.

"What have you done to her…?" I whispered. Ein turned to me, unaffected by the look of heartbreak on my face. The sword in his hands pulsed as a smile crept up his face.

"Good to see you could make it," Ein replied with no intent of explaining. "How do you like your sword?"

"That's not my sword." The words came out of my mouth before I processed what I wanted to say in response. For a brief moment, a look of surprise crossed Ein's face. Was… was that really my sword? Serenity was suddenly looking agitated, almost like she was waiting for Ein's permission to strike me. She stood between the two of us, lips permanently pulled back over her gums in preparation.

"Nonsense. Come here." Watching carefully to make sure the dragon pokemon didn't lunge at me, I approached Ein. The closer to them I got, the colder the temparature dropped. My air plumed out in front of me. The air grew thick around me.

He held out the sword to me. The cold that seeped off the onyx blade raised the hair on my arms and legs. Ein and my thick breath was being sucked in by the sword completely. It was like the sword was sucking in whatever came near, converted it to Haze, and spat it out. "Take this. It's been redesigned for you."

I paused to think, eyes running up and down the blade. "I think I'm going to pass on that." For the first time since I'd arrived, the look of evil intent appeared on Ein's face. That was quickly replaced by the high-end neutral look he always had about it.

"It will not hurt you," he said softly. "I know, to you it must look like some sort of dastardly device, but it's really just a sword. Just your sword. Just a better version of it. This one can actually cut people."

"That's because 'this one' isn't my sword," I replied.

"Just touch it." He was clearly getting impatient. Deciding it was best not to tick him off too much, I reached forward in an attempt to prod it with my index finger. As soon as my hand entered the smoke that thickly shrouded the weapon, the shadows lurched for me and took a strong grip on my wrist. Screeching, I back peddled as fast as my legs allowed on the slippery tile floor before stepped out of the doorway and pressing myself on the wall outside. The tendrils of Haze that had grabbed me broke free and returned to their nest, hissing softly.

"What the hell?!" I shouted, grabbing my wrist and examining it. The tiny fingers of shadow had left tiny pricks were they had touched. Three tiny holes, forming a straight loop around my wrist, started to bleed softly.

"It'll only hurt for a second," Ein promised, stepped closer. "All we need is both hands on the sword for two minutes. Then you can leave here."

"What will it do to me?" I questioned. I paused. "Is… is that the thing that's been making all the Shadow Pokemon?" The scientist leaped at me and slashed from right to left. If it wasn't for my killer reflexes, I would've been halved like the wall behind me. It had been cut so clean that there didn't seem to be a cut at all. I skidded to a stop down the hallway that took me opposite the garden, slowly stepping backwards. Ein and Serenity stepped out from the room. I couldn't decide which of their faces looked more malevolent.

"You've proven nothing but useless to our case," the scientist explained. The shadows around the sword started gathering around him. "No special abilities, no growth in strength, it was like babysitting a superhero that got their powers from their suits. You're worthless to us as you are. Let me end this nonsense right now!" He slashed again, lower than before. I hopped out of the way and stepped a few paces further back. I hadn't told him about the golden bubbles, so I could see where he thought I was useless. Without my sword, I was nothing more than a young girl. So I did what any young girl would do.

I turned and ran.

"Come back here!" Ein's shrill voice hollered. "You! Get her!" Even from far away I could hear the hoarse sound of Serenity chuckling.

I started down the hall and up the stairs faster than I thought possible. I toppled people over holding crates or clipboards. There were a few times I'd grab bottles of water and toss them on the ground in an attempt to slow Ein. He was close behind but the obstacles worked to subdue him for the time being. It wasn't him that was to be fear most, however. Whenever he neared me, tendrils of shadow grabbed at my clothes and my skin, pricking me like needles and leaving behind numb sections of skin that warmed only when I slapped them with my hands. By the time I reached my room, my back was red and sweat trickled down the sides of my head. I slammed the door shut and shoved the bedframe with the mattress against it to keep them from entering. It worked.

"You little wrench," Ein hollered from the other side. "You're cornered in there! As soon as I open this door, you will join your pokemon with open arms! Jump out the window if you please! If you die, it won't hinder me!" The sound of heavy footsteps followed his words.

I stacked the door with everything I could find. Chairs, the mini sofa, even the shower curtain. Whatever to weigh it down so it took him longer to get to me. But where could I go? How could I escape? Dammit, I could've used my bubbles to get out of the window. But the storm was too strong to risk it, I'd still just fall to my death. There was nothing to do but sit there, curl up against the wall, and cry. And boy did I cry. Sure, no one would care that their test specimen was going to turn into a Shadow like the pokemon she knew and loved years ago, but it was worth a shot. I shouted help and fire and even things like I had a family. Nobody came to my aid.

There was no way out.

I backed myself up against the wall and wailed in savage sorrow. Tears fell down my face and puddled at the floor in a neverending stream. I bit my tongue and pinched my arm. Nope, this wasn't a nightmare. Maybe jumping out the window would work. Sand was pretty soft. If I aimed for a tall dune, there was a chance of survival. Yet every part of me was beginning to fail. My fingers twitched and my body was shivering in cold fear. If I didn't faint from shock, then I would faint from hyperventilation.

Two arms grabbed me from behind. One wrapped an elbow around my throat, the other covered my hand with a thick glove. I froze. This was it. This is how I died. They were going to snap my neck and toss me out the window. Even if it was nearby, the sand would cover my body enough to where I'd never be seen again. So I went limp, leaned my head flat on the sill of the window, and let the tears flow. Whimpering escaped me.

"Rui," my captor whispered. "Psst. Open your eyes." It took effort to pass the shield of water that blocked my vision, but I did as told. A few blinks and wipes on my sleeve later and I saw him.

Wes had come to save me. His expression was worried. "Are you hurt? What's going on?" I was so baffled that he was there, leaning above me from out the five story window, that I was at a loss for words. He started gently patting my cheek. "Am I too late? Rui?" Tears started running down my cheeks again. I grabbed him and hugged him from his awkward upside-down angle, sobbing softly.

"Thank Arceus," I whispered. "You're… you're really here." He hugged me back.

"I'm here," he said softly. "Now let's get you out of here." He jumped into the room and lifted me to his feet. Outside the window, Duking, Silva, and Fateen were riding on the back of a pidgeot. I blinked at them, surprised.

"Glad to see you, too!" Duking called, sitting directly behind Fateen, who controlled the giant bird by grabbing the nape of her neck. "Might want to hurry up! We've got some ground to cover!"

"My sword," I realized. Wes glanced back at me.

"They still have it." he guessed. The look in my eyes confirmed his fears. "Silva, Duking. We need your help." The two of them hopped into the room.

"I will circle the building," Fateen called over the growing sandstorm. "When you need me, whistle, scream, make a bunch of noise. I will find you." Then her pokemon dove downwards.

"You won't leave this place alive!" Ein called from the other side of the door. Wes' eyes nearly caught on fire from the look of sheer hate in them. He took my hand, squeezing it between his warm hands protectively. Then, adjusting the snag sleeve on his arm so his fists were fully revealed, he walked up to the pile of furniture and crossed his arms. I put my hands on his shoulders and looked around him.

It took Ein one, two, five times of ramming the door before the furniture gave way. The scientist, face red from anger and exhaustion, stumbled in. He barely had time to realize what was going on before he stumbled into Wes, who punched him in the face. Blood splattered and teeth fell to the floor like confetti. The scientist was so taken aback by the hit he crumpled to the floor and kicked himself backwards where the door lie flat on the ground.

His nose had been broken and hung almost flat against his face. A stream of blood trickling out of both corners of his lips and dripped to the floor, giving him the look of a vampire. The dazed look in his eyes confirmed he was not fully there with us. Wes grabbed him by the collar and lifted him in the air, cocking another fist by his side. Suddenly, Ein's face cleared.

"I know you." Wes paused, waiting to strike. "You're the boy who joined us when you were young, just a boy. I remember that." The golden-eyed trainer narrowed his eyes. "Oh, yes. The boy who needed to prove he was part of Team Snagem. Do you remember how you were finally accepted? Finally promoted as an admin?"

"Shut up," Wes hissed through gritting teeth.

"You had to steal a pokemon." Ein smiled and blood fell from his mouth like a floodgate. "The dratini of a little girl in Saffron City, correct?"

Pokemon Author Mew Ike Has Returned From Break!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	24. Wes And I Are In Love!

Chapter 24

Wes threw him against the ground before he could finish the last word. It was too late, I had already heard it. I took my hand off his shoulder. He turned to try and retrieve it, but I had pulled it against my chest. He met my eyes. There was so much pain in his gaze. So much I felt my own chest tripling the anxiety I had felt before. He opened his mouth once, twice, three times before clicking his jaw shut.

Then, "Sorry won't explain how bad I feel, but I am."

"Wes-"

"I didn't know she was going to suffer worse than the rest," he interrupted, "I thought Serenity was just going to be another Shadow Pokemon. When I brought her back here I thought- I suddenly knew how bad of a mistake I made. But I was undercover. I couldn't-"

"Wes, it's fine."

He froze. I kept my expression steady. "It's alright. I understand." He heard my words but he didn't believe them. I was in pain. A lot of pain. The one person I had come to trust in this world had started off by taking my pokemon and turned her into a Shadow Pokemon. Not just any Shadow Pokemon, the queen of all of them.

He was the reason all of this had happened.

"It's not alright," he insisted. "I-"

"I know," I interrupted again. "You're working to fix it, aren't you?" No response. "I won't ask you to do much more than that." My heart did a painful backflip in my chest. Serenity, poor Serenity. How could she hope to be saved by the man that kidnapped her all those years ago? Wes sighed softly through his nose, thinking.

"If there was a way to apologize correctly, would you take it?" I rolled my eyes. There was no time to sit and here and think of a way to say sorry. It was over.

"Let's just get my sword and- mmf!"

I can't believe it.

He… he kissed me. Like, hands on my cheeks, eyes closed kiss.

All that pain, all those terrible thoughts against him vanished in the blink of an eye. Now that he was right there, pressing himself against me so I could feel his fluttering heart, it didn't even matter. I know he had gotten the courage to start it, but now that he was kissing me the trainer was frozen solid. Was he waiting for me to pull away? Or had he just reached his courage limit for the day?

I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned into him. His lips were soft and warm, too enticing to think about pulling away. When he finally felt me accept his kiss, he wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me closer against him. His other hand kept to my cheek where he wiped away the stale tears I had shed before he had arrived. That's when I closed my eyes and let him press his chest against mine, showing me what it felt like to have two hearts beat together as one. He finally took a breath through his nose. He must've forgotten how to during the exchange.

We pulled apart. I was tempted to go right in for another. I wanted that to last longer. The swirling sensation in my chest, the warmth of him near me, the exhilaration of love coursing through my veins. But he hugged me instead, both arms holding me so close that I just wanted to melt into him. I buried my face in his neck, holding back from kissing that too.

"More later," he promised, out of breath. "Sword now, us later."

"Right." I embraced him tighter and felt his heart flutter. His breath caught in his throat briefly. "Thank you, Wes."

"Anything for you." We separated. He wanted to kiss a bit longer, I could tell. Later, I promised myself. I wasn't going to let him down now that the both of us have come so far. Get the sword, get out. That simple.

The hallways had been completely emptied by the time Wes and I stepped out in them. No doctors, no scientists, nobody to confront us. So I took Wes by the hand and guided him through the mazes of rooms and hallways until we reached the elevator. I mashed the button with my thumb. The machine gave me no response. The lights on it remained dark. Had the power to them been cut? Probably. Wes and Ein's struggle couldn't have gone in secrecy. It was shut down to keep the both of us in the building. That meant the others had already used it.

They were in the basement.

"We'll have to take the stairs," I decided, pulling him the other way. The stairs would lead us to the first floor, but I had never found any stairs that had led to the basement. Multiple days here in this prison and I couldn't find a way down to the lower levels. Were there even stairs to the basement in the first place? Did we have time to find them? What were they doing down there, anyway? Something not good, I was sure.

The stairs spiraled down the eastern side of the building. No matter how much deeper into the building we traveled there remained not a single sign of life. Food was left uneaten and computers were left to idle. The silence was broken by our loud footsteps, obnoxiously loud against the marble tile. We reached ground level without a problem. When we stopped to catch our breath, Wes scanned the area.

"There's no stairs down to the basement," Wes said, confirming my fears. "In emergencies they wouldn't want Shadow Pokemon escaping so easily."

"What if the elevator breaks?" I asked. "What if that is broken and there's no way up?"

"Team Cipher believes that accidents like that would erase any sign that they had even been here." Sacrifices. Killing innocent pokemon and people for the sake of the company. The leader of this corporation was a sick freak. "Let's make our way down." Like on cue, Umbreon and Espeon emerged, blinking in attention. "Dig our way to the basement, you two."

"Eon," the two of them agreed in stern unison. They reared up on their back legs. Their front paws began glowing, first dim than brightly. Before I knew it they were scratching their way down through the marble like it was rice paper. The dirt under was even easier to go through. All they had to do was brush it aside with their claws before the basement was within sight.

Umbreon and Espeon went down first. Wes followed before helping me down by the waist. The two of us were lost in each other's eyes for about five seconds before he set me down and we forced our eyes away. His two pokemon rolled their eyes with a smile.

The first level of the basement appeared to be just as empty as the rest of the base. That was until someone crept up behind Wes with a fist cocked. Instinct took over. I pulled Wes to the floor by his hand, released it, then kicked the scientist in the face. She sputtered a mouthful of blood before falling to the floor, unconscious. The pokemon trainer had put his hands over his head, unsure of what was happening. When I grabbed him and lifted him to his feet, he caught sight of what had nearly clubbed him. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thanks, Rui."

"Anytime." He smiled at me.

"Espe," I heard his pokemon call. She was standing by the top of a tall flight of stairs. "Espeonnnn!"

"We're hurrying!" Wes responded, pulling me towards her. Umbreon followed at our side. As we followed her down the stairs, the sound of scientists and Ciphers was beginning to get louder. They were talking hurriedly, running about the lower levels in a rush. They weren't making any effort to be quiet, that was for sure.

I expected there to be several seveals to the basement, as it had shown on the elevator. Yet as we descended the stairs did not give way to any other floors, just the occasional elevator entrance. Had they put several buttons on there for no reason? No, there was a reason. And that reason became clearer the further we traveled. Each floor had been sealed off by marble bricks the same color as the walls. The deeper we went, the clumsier they were with placing them. There were floors, they had just been blocked off completely.

I suddenly didn't want to know what was beyond them.

The stairs started to get exhausting. Running down in circles repeatedly was not only making my legs burn from overuse, but dizzying as well. I didn't know how Wes and his pokemon were able to hold up for so long. It didn't even look like they were even remotely tired. And there I was panting and huffing like an asthmatic hyena. I might've passed out if Wes hadn't stopped a stair below me and crouched slightly. Not a single objection left my mouth as he allowed me to crawl onto his back and give me a piggyback ride the remainder of the way.

If it wasn't for the face that I was nearly unconscious from the breath I had lost from the run down, I would've considered this romantic. I tried to make it that way to energize me again, but to be honest, just lying against him was putting me to sleep. It was so calming and relaxing that I had to force myself to keep my eyes open. Luckily it was a bumpy ride so it wasn't too easy.

"We're getting close," Wes said. I blinked groggily. "I have to put you down, alright?"

"Alright."

I stumbled once my feet were on the floor, but I managed to catch myself before I tumbled over. Where were we? Still on the stairs? How could he tell we were getting close? I turned towards him.

Oh. That's why.

A giant metal door, taller than any pokemon I could hope to compare it to, stood proud at the bottom floor. The door was such a deep black that lamps on the walls weren't bright enough to be reflected on the smooth surface. It had been broken and patched in several different places messily. Scratches from the other side bled through visibly to the other side, but nothing was more frightening than the giant indent of some unnameable pokemon after it had hit the door so hard it had left an indent taller than the previous five floors we had descended from.

"This is where they make Shadow Pokemon," Wes decided.

"Have you been here before?" I asked, stepping up to his side.

"No. I wasn't high enough rank to be allowed anywhere near this place." He stepped up to the door, gently tugging me towards him, and put a hand on the black metal. "Reinforced obsidian, they really didn't want anything getting out. Anything that tries to break the door will end up bending it." I could see what he meant by that.

"How do we-?"

The door clicked. The four of us jumped back, startled. Wes pushed me behind him defensively as the door came to life in a series of screeches and squeals. It began to open, inch by inch, until a crevice barely wide enough to fit the both of us side by side appeared. It stopped then, breathing like it had exhausted itself, and became dormant once more. Silence filled the air.

"Once we go in, it'll be hard to get back out." Wes couldn't have been more spot on. Someone had opened the door for us. Not as a common courtesy, but to keep us trapped. Trapped or die. Neither of these sounded even slightly pleasant.

"Serenity and my sword are in there," I reminded.

"Then we have no choice." He grabbed my hand. "This could be the end." I could tell by the way he said it what he meant. The end of us. The kiss we had shared may be our last. If we didn't come out of there, we may never be able to have the relationship we've wanted from the beginning.

"I'd rather go out with you than anyone else," I told him. His cheeks reddened.

"I couldn't think of a better way," he admitted. We joined hands, took a deep breath, then walked right into the inky darkness behind the door.

Wes Used Sweet Kiss!

Rui Is Infatiuated!

Wes And Rui Are In Love!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	25. Bubbles Make A Good Weapon!

Chapter 26

Just as expected, when we stepped into the doorway, the door shut behind us. The inky darkness was swept away immediately by a wave of red light. A stadium, we had walked right into a stadium taller and wide than five doors placed end to end. Instead of marble, the entire room was made of white metal. Almost every square inch of it was dented, torn, or scratched. Pokemon had been battled here. And from the looks of it, they weren't battling for the fun and sport of it like I had been raised to know.

"One would think you two would leave as soon as the chance showed itself." At the other end of the stadium, a familiar figure struck a pose. "Ein may have let you past, but I sure as hell won't let you move another step!" Five different stage lights focuses on him. The tall, fabulous Miror B. had returned. "I don't believe we had a proper battle, now, did we?"

"We don't have time for this!" Wes shouted. "Where's the sword and Serenity?"

"Serenity?" Miror B. put a finger to his lips in thought. "You mean Vex? I think you do."

"No, we mean Serenity!" I stepped forward. "Where is she?!"

"She is busy learning how to use that sword of yours." Miror B. struck another pose. "After you wouldn't take it back after Ein went through to add all those great new adjustments, who else could he hope to wield it?"

"That's not my sword and you know it!"

"It's your sword, alright. I saw Ein work on it with my own eyes! But enough chat! Let's battle!" He pulled a single pokeball from his waist. It had been enveloped with so much Haze that it was impossible to see any of the red or white that identified it as a pokeball, but instead just a fountain of darkness. "Ein sure as hell knows how to cook up a good pokemon."

Before Miror B. could hope to throw his ball, Raikou broke free, breaking the ball in two. The massive pokemon skidded to a stop on the smooth metal, dirty brown fur reflecting on the floor like a mirror. He bared his yellow teeth, foam dripping from his lips onto his jagged claws. Like Suicune and Entei, the cloud on his back had been deflated. His tail hung limply behind him like a deadweight. The colors of his fur was matted and brown, a carpet of knots and filth.

I put a hand out in front of me, motioning for him to relax. He roared, advancing a hasty few steps in our direction. Wes grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. Even Umbreon and Espeon seemed hesitant about nearing him. They couldn't battle this maniac. But what choice did we have? I didn't have my sword.

"Let's see how he fares against the famous Rui!" The Cipher Admin backed away. "Go ahead, do what you like, Raikou!" The Shadow Pokemon snarled in his direction before snapping his head back at us. One of his fangs had been broken at the tip, leaving behind a jagged stump. As he approached, he licked it repeatedly, loving the taste of the foam that dripped from it.

I know Wes was standing in front of me protectively, but both of us knew that his pokemon weren't going to attack a pokemon as crazed at that. His breaths were ragged and filled the whole room with the sound of his wet lungs. It was almost too loud to think. Too loud to realize that I had a trick up my sleeve as well.

I stepped past Wes and put my fists up in front of me. Raikou growled, spittle flying from his teeth in a spray. He charged, claws making obnoxious clanging sounds against the metal. For a split second I thought that was where our story ended. How the war between Bonding Shadows and Team Cipher stopped, being torn apart by a shadow legendary dog.

But it wasn't. Because when he was close enough I opened my fists and channeled that same energy I felt in the Under. Two golden bubbles flew from my palms and struck the pokemon from both sides, pinching him in place until they both joined. From his prison, the shadow pokemon paused. His eyes, wider than dinner plates, flashed from red to orange. His matted fur flashed the groomed, soft pelt it had once been before. He was changing. By Arceus, he was being purified from just being in the bubble!

"What are you doing?!" Miror B. shouted, slicing his hand through the air. "Get the hell out of there!"

"Don't!" My words went without being heard. The electric pokemon raked both front paws in front of him, tearing the bubble open before it popped. He dropped to the metal floor, missing the landing. When he found his way back to his feet, his eyes were ignited in red fury.

I balled my fists once again. When the pokemon charged, Wes and I had to sidestep to avoid being clawed in two. When I hit him with the bubbles this time, he stayed in there long enough to give us time to distance ourselves. Wes returned Umbreon and Espeon into their balls, deciding it was the best idea given our current situation.

Raikou freed himself again. The entire room was filled with the painful sounds of his screech. Lightning danced off the floor and ceiling, jolting Wes and I painfully. I grabbed his arm and sealed each of us in our own bubbles. The sparks from the floor only bounced off us, leaving neither of us shocked. This is probably how the battle was going to be, I told myself. Flying around a stadium throwing bubbles at a legendary dog.

Makes sense.

Raikou charged. Wes and I pushed our way higher in the stadium, barely missing the beast's claws as he tried to grab us from the air. Roaring in frustration, he sent a powerful beam of lightning in my direction. It hit the bubble and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. I shook my head and heard my hair crackle in response. If I was hit directly just once, that'd be the real game over.

He leapt again, this time high enough to pop the bubble I was in. I grabbed him my the tooth and sealed him in his own bubble. I had to quickly pull my arm out before he amputated it. I didn't realize I had let go of my only support that kept me from falling until I was halfway to the ground. That's when common sense kicked in. I trapped myself in another bubble just a second before I would've hit the ground.

"Stop playing around!" Miror B. shouted. He reached through the bubble and secured a tight grip around my neck. "Why do you oppose us? Why don't you mind your own business and leave us be?!"

"Because you took Serenity," I coughed. "Because treating pokemon like a tool or turning them into a fighting machine isn't right! Why should I let any of you harm pokemon the way you do?!"

"Power!" He used both hands to pin me to the ground by the throat. I dug my nails into his flesh, drawing blood. "Why stand by and train pokemon all day when you can get one that'll either win or die? Why would anyone waste their time with weak pokemon?!" I heard Raikou drop to the floor behind me.

"Rui!" I could hear Wes struggling to pop the bubble I had trapped him in. I guess there was no real way to get out of those yourself, was there? Raikou was growling, approaching hastily.

"Now!" Miror B's expression was crazed. "Finish her off!" Raikou was suddenly above me. He opened his jaws, seemingly to swallow my head whole. Instead, the beast grabbed Miror B's arms and threw him off me. The surprised Cipher Peon dropped to the floor a short walk from where I was. "What are you doing?! Kill her! Obey me!" But his words were in vain.

Raikou had been fully purified.

He scanned Miror B. up and down, reading his demanding body language and red face. One paw in front of the other, he began to approach him. One step, two steps, three steps and he was finally close enough to the Peon to scare him. Screaming, Miror B. turned tail and ran deeper into the lab. Raikou gave chase until he exited through the door he had come from. That's when the pokemon looked back to me. He nodded his head once. I smiled at him. Then the pokemon turned tail and started off after Miror B. once again.

"I had almost forgotten you could do that." Wes had made his way down from the air and back on the floor, where his bubble popped. "I didn't know it would purify a pokemon."

"I didn't know it either," I admitted, getting to my feet. Wes shot me a dazzling smile.

"Lucky guess, than." His smile faded. "What happened to your sword?"

"Before you came to save me today, Ein tried to get me to touch this sword he told me was mine. It had a Haze around it and it hurt to get near. He tried telling me it was my sword but…"

"It's not your sword," Wes assured me. "They've been working on that sword for a while. I know because they took it from my skarmory when I first joined Snagem. He more than likely told you it was yours so you'd take it."

"What's wrong with that sword?" I asked. "What did he do to it?"

"Ein was the first one to make a shadow pokemon. I don't doubt he wanted to be the first one to make a shadow weapon as well." He saw the look of concern on my face. "They can't do anything to your sword. That kind of purity can't be messed with by the likes of them."

"So it might be down here?"

"More than likely. They don't know that you can work magic with those bubbles. They think that keeping it from you makes you unable to purify shadows. Luckily that's not the case." The two of us started walking towards the door Miror B. had fled into. "Whatever you do, don't touch that sword that Ein wanted you to, even if he tries to force you into it."

"Why?" I asked, slightly afraid to know the answer.

"Have you heard the phrase 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall?'" I nodded. "The scientists here firmly believe that the purest pokemon make the most evil shadows. That's why they had me run all the way to Saffron City to steal your dratini. They knew that pokemon raised with children are some of the sweetest creatures. They also saw that you were an unusual child who was extremely good with pokemon. Targeting Serenity was the top of our list."

"So Serenity…"

"Yes, she is the most wretched shadow pokemon in her current form. And because you're the light, a pure human that's able to purify pokemon, touching that sword would turn you into something even worse than Vex." He paused. "You'd be so evil, it would be incurable."

Once we had entered the door, the two of us found ourselves in yet another stadium. Or, I thought it was a stadium. Our footsteps echoed loudly and I couldn't see the ceiling, so I was assuming it was large. The inky blackness stopped us in our tracks. There was no way we were going to continue blind.

"Umbreon," Wes whispered, holding out the dark type's pokeball. He emerged in front of the two of us, yellow rings pulsing quickly in excitement. He looked straight ahead, night vision eyes scoping out the darkness for us. He took a step forward and squinted, focusing harder. "What do you see?" The pokemon looked back to Wes and shrugged. "You can't see through it?"

"It's not darkness," I realized. "This whole room is filled with the Haze."  
Rui Used Bubble!

It's Super Effective!

Raikou Has Been Purified!

Miror B. Fled!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	26. Wes And I Battle A Legend!

Chapter 27

"Retrieve Umbreon," I urged. Wes didn't need to be told twice.

"What do you think we do about this?" he asked, clipping the ball back to his belt.

"The only way we have." I held out my hand, palm to the ceiling. A small bubble emerged from it, casting a golden glow between the two of us. The floor was smooth marble once more, but the walls and ceiling were blocked by Haze that fell from above like a drizzle of rain. I could feel the chill of it against my skin like a soft winter breeze. Goosebumps pricked my skin. "We have to go straight through it. Miror B. didn't have any trouble with it if he came running this way." He slipped his hand into mine.

"There'll be no need for that." Ein's voice came from behind us. When we spun to face him, the light from the room we had entered from had shut itself, leaving us in the pitch black. My golden bubble still shone, but against the Haze and darkness it was dimmer than a small candle. Wes and I put our backs to each other, bodies rigid in fear. "You shouldn't be going where you're not allowed, especially after you have the chance to leave." His voice was above us. I could hear him climbing some unseen stairs.

"We're not leaving until you give Rui back her sword!" Wes shouted. His voice echoed off distant walls. Ein laughed, this time further away.

"I thought I told you that was your sword, Rui." He seemed to be ignoring the fact that Wes was talking to him, nor that he existed at all. That happens when you get creamed on sight by him. "Oh, who am I kidding? You won't believe me. So I think it's best that you hear the truth."

A hollow clatter sounded in front of me. Lying at my feet, absorbing Haze and spitting out fine golden glitter was my sword. The temptation to grab it was strong, but Wes and I both knew that it could've been a trap. We stayed still, observing it anxiously for any signs that it was truly rigged.

"You can pick it up. I have no use for it." He paused. I pictured him smiling. "It's too weak to do any damage to us anyway."

The lights flicked on. The stadium I had pictured was not much different from the real thing. Mable floor, walls, and ceiling. The Haze made it harder to see further out, but everything was visible.

Especially the giant Shadow Lugia perched above us.

There was not a single thought when it came to grabbing my sword that time. The instant it was in my hands it was aimed at the sea bird. Her piercing glowing eyes narrowed in my direction, challenging me to make a move. She didn't look too interested in fighting me from the giant swing Ein had made for her, but just being in her presence was scary enough. She was huge, larger than any pokemon I had seen before. She only only twenty or thirty feet above me and yet she had to lean forward slightly to fit in the football dome-size stadium. Ein was sitting on a saddle-like pad from her shoulder to avoid her razor-sharp scales.

"I have an offer for you two." I didn't notice it until now, but he had a bit of a lisp to the way he talked. Seeing how his lips and tongue were just as fat as a lickitung, I wondered how I missed it before. "Lugia doesn't like to fight, even in her Shadow form. Because of this, she and I have decided to try and end our quarrels in a sensible manner."

"Sensible," I scoffed.

"Listen to the offer," Ein said quickly, impatient. "You two have been more than annoying to our plan, and for no real reason, may I add?" He didn't wait for us to reply. "I say we end the fighting right here, right now. No more kidnapping, no more blood, no more nothing."

"So you'll release all the Shadow Pokemon to the care of Bonding Shadows?" Wes spoke like he was sure that he was surrendering.

"Oh no, no, no!" Ein's face lit up in what I guessed was a smile. "You two and Bonding Shadows will leave us alone, or we'll tear you apart one by one. Starting right here, right now. Agree and surrender, or die. How's that sound?"

"We can't take that offer." Wes and I spoke without hesitation.

"We'll take our chances," he added.

"You don't understand." Ein stood. Lugia's scales bristled and the sharp flaps on her back started to stand erect like knives. "I don't find it hard to kill children. I won't lose sleep over it. I might sleep better knowing you two wouldn't be here to screw up my works."

"They're not works!" I shouted. "They're pokemon! They're just as important as any human! And all you do is hurt and torture them! I bet you don't get any sleep at all!" His smile vanished. Did… did I actually hit that nail on the head?

"This is your last warning, Yurika." He raised his hands beside his head. Lugia's eyes started glowing. The Haze started falling harder upon us. "Take him and leave, or stay and be slaughtered. The choice is yours."

Wes and I paused. Then, in unison, we both brandished our weapons. My sword, his pokeballs. The two of us had a fire that his words couldn't snuff. Just seeing the rebelling, the lack of fear, the open disregard for his purpose put him on edge. He stifled the look of rage on his face and lowered his hand quickly.

Shadow Lugia roared. The walls around us trembled from her voice. Wes and I forced ourselves not to cover our ears even though we could feel them being pierced like knives. The beast couldn't open her wings until she dropped to the floor. The floor shattered from beneath her, crunching as she took wide steps toward us. Her scales stood perpendicular to her body, razor sharp edges trembling in excitement. She bared her yellow fangs, dripping pinkish foam on the ground.

Wes had both pokeballs in his hands but even I knew that he wasn't going to endanger Umbreon or Espeon. When the Lugia was within reaching distance of us she snapped her jaws and extended her neck. I was so paralyzed by the sight that Wes had to grab me and pull me out of the way before I was eaten whole. She wheeled on us, hissing. When she snapped again I was able to jump out of the way but Wes was grabbed by the tail of his coat. Lugia's teeth had a firm grip on him. My heart caught in my throat from the other end of the room as I watched him struggle to pull free. Then, as she reeled him in, Wes suddenly focused and drew a small blade from his pocket, stabbing the Shadow Pokemon in the eye.

My eardrums vibrated painfully from her heart-wrenching scream. Shadow pokemon or not, no living thing should be put through that pain. I didn't blame Wes. Ein had cornered us to fight or die. It had come to this whether or not we wanted it to or not. She bucked her legs and opened her wings to screech again, this time drawing blood down the sides of my head. Wes rolled out of the way to avoid being trampled. Ein jumped off the saddle before it was throw across the room in her painful rampage.

" _Kill them!_ " His voice was shrill. " _Kill both of them! Kill them now!_ " Lugia snapped her head in our direction. Wes had failed to retrieve his knife and had instead left it in her right eye socket where blood dribbled down her cheeks like tears. Her lips were trembling, pulled back over sharp fangs. Her throat hummed the sound between a growl and a whimper.

Wes and I backed against the wall. Shadow Lugia dipped her neck parallel to the floor and crept forward with her her turned to the left to better see us. She used her wings as front legs to squeeze herself closer to us, as the dome ceiling was lower near the walls. A trail of black blood was left behind her, spreading unevenly on the shattered tiles.

Wes and I held fists and sword at the ready. This wasn't even slightly enough to start phasing her. She approached slowly, enjoying the look of terror on our faces. This is where she began to play with us, snapping her jaws close enough to think she was going to eat but instead missing on purpose. I felt that was even more dangerous. If we stepped out of the way in the wrong direction, she would kill us by accident. Why did that sound so much worse? She prodded us with her wings, tearing our clothes and flesh on her scales. Within a few minutes our clothes were so torn the cold of the room started getting to us. We shivered, painfully pressing up to each other regardless of the tears in both clothing and flesh.

"You've had your fun!" Ein had kept his distance for some time now. He was just as terrified of being trapped in there as we were. Lugia obviously didn't mind fighting and bloodshed as much as he had let on. "Kill them! You can eat all their friends if you make a good example of these two!" The shadow licked her lips, accidentally tasting some of her own blood in the process. This did not phase her. It looked as if she actually enjoyed it. She paused, pondering her next move.

"I'm sorry." Wes had probably said this once or twice already but I had been so drained from dodging her that I hadn't heard. Just as my sword had deflected off Serenity, Shadow Lugia was immune to the blade. I was afraid to strike her because my blade vibrated so painfully in my hands I feared it would shatter. "I should've taken you out of here when I got the chance."

"If we did that-" I panted "- then we wouldn't have gotten my sword back." Wes leaned against the back wall, eyes stuck on Lugia. She was still thinking of the funnest way to kill us.

"Forget the sword. I wanted our relationship to last longer than this!" Lugia paused, suddenly tuned into our conversation. "This is bullshit. Right when I got the courage to kiss you!" My heart both leapt and dropped. I took his hand in mine.

"At least it happened. I'd prefer this than not at all." He pulled me into his arms so quickly I thought that Lugia had struck. I couldn't see his expression from over my shoulder. He trembled, squeezing me tighter against him. I embraced him back, taking in his warmth and the smell of cinnamon that desperately clung to the remains of his clothes.

"Thank you for following me," he whispered. "You've been willing to stay with me from the start. If it wasn't for your determination, I wouldn't have been able to get to know you." He moved his hands from the small of my back upwards, drawing me closer. I let him press his face into my neck. My heart caught in my throat. For a moment, just a moment, I was in heaven. This is what heaven felt like.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ein's face was red with rage. "KILL! THEM! NOW!" I glanced back at Lugia. Wes and Ein couldn't see it, but I did.

She was crying.

Cipher Scientist Ein Would Like To Battle!

Shadow Lugia Attacked!

Shadow Lugia Is Stunned!

Shadow Lugia Used Tears!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	27. A Crying Shadow And A Drillbur!

Chapter 27

She could see that I was watching her, but she showed no sign of stopping. Blood was now mixing with real, sorrowful tears as they dripped to her feet. Her teeth were now masked by her lips which she had sucked in, pondering. Her expression was guarded once we met gazes.

The Earth started quivering. The marble stone we stood on started to sink deeper and deeper into the earth. The ceiling began to crumble and dust on us, filling the room with dust and dirt. It was only a matter of time before the ceiling gave out and this floor, just like the others, would be sealed off for good. Lugia and Ein had the same expression on their face: fear of being buried alive.

"Finish them!" The scientist's shout with left ignored. The giant shadow pokemon glared at the two of us before turning her back, carelessly swiping her tail near us. She took Ein by the collar, lifting him into the air like a pup. "Kill them first, you worthless pokemon! Do it while we still have the chance." Showing no reaction to his words, Lugia continued to carry him. There was a larger door on the other side of the stadium from where we entered that opened large enough for her to open her wings in. She took to the sky, glared with her one good eye for the last time, then took off, leaving the two of us behind.

Wes took my hand and started to pull me to the exit she had taken. That exit was briefly shut off when a stack of boulders fell from the ceiling and blocked the way. Wes would've been crushed if I hadn't pulled him back in time. He swore and looked to the other exit. Too late for that, too. It had been destroyed with the first sickening jerk of the quake.

Right when all hope seemed lost, the Earth stilled. A few more boulders fell and dust dripped into the room, but besides the settling, it was quiet. The two of us were covering our mouths with what was left of our sleeves, hesitant to inhale any dirt. The room was more thickly filled with dirt than it had once been with Haze. Our eyes burned as we forced to keep them open.

"I'm telling you, all of these rooms have been sealed off!"

Wes and I looked towards the ceiling. A stream of dirt fell in front of us. We waited for the voice to come again, but after waiting what seemed like a lifetime, the voice did not come again. I heard the rocks above the dome shifting from the quake. It was beginning to dawn on the two of us that we were indeed trapped and that if there was another shake we would be buried. Realizing this, Wes grabbed me by the waist with one arm and pulled me close, prearing for the heavy rocks above to start tumbling. The shifting came again, this time louder. It was followed by a loud crash that splintered the top of the dome like a spiderweb.

"Stop it, you imbecile!" The female voice was familiar but muffled from behind the ceiling. "Your blasted pokemon already did enough damage! Stop smashing through walls like an oaf!"

"Fateen?" Wes called. The movements of the rocks stilled. "Fateen is that you?"

"They're alive?" muttered a different voice in disbelief.

"Did you have no faith in our friends?" a bulkier one asked. "Wes, thank Arceus you're alive my boy! Is Rui with you?"

"Yes!" His hand moved from my waist to my side, where he tapped it gently. "We're both down here! Can you break through without bringing the whole place down on us?"

"Can he break through the wall without bringing the whole place down," Fateen laughed. "Duking's drilbur already collapsed half of the building! I'd rather like Groudon to come barrelling through here rather than see him try and get down there!"

"Bur…" a defeated pokemon sighed.

"He's exhausted anyway," Silva pointed out. "I think Duking will have to get down there somehow." His voice increased in volume. "If you guys can tell where we are, try and step back! We're going to try and get down without burying you two alive! I'll count to three then-"

The ceiling gave way further towards the entrance dropping with it several stray rocks and a truckload of dust. Wes and I stepped backwards as it washed over us in a dusty wave. I heard feet drop to the floor, stumbling before coming to a stop. It was too thick to open my eyes, but from the sound of the fall it had to be Duking. A muscular arm secured me by the waist and hefted me over his shoulder. Wes released me so I could only assume the same was happening to him.

Duking carried us under the hole from where he had emerged. I couldn't see but I could hear Silva and Fateen shift rocks around as the bodybuilder lifted us into the air. Fateens warm, wrinkled hands secured around my wrists. I grabbed onto hers as she pulled me up into the air. Silva struggled to get Wes up until Duking lifted him the rest of the way, climbing onto a fallen rock.

The cave they had created was not dug straight down, which was to be expected. It sloped steeply upwards and curved around itself, as if the group were confused where to go. A single drilbur was standing furthest from us, pointing his claw up the tunnel. From the look on his face we needed to get going. Thinking I was still weak, Duking hefted me back over his shoulder and started up the tunnel, powerful legs working to up the slope towards the surface. Wes and the others followed closely behind, too focused on panting to bring up conversation.

The cave creaked and shuddered with us in it but not once did we find the path blocked. Often we had to step around large boulders or crawl through areas that had collapsed, but there was no immediate threats nearby. Whatever obstacles we came across were easily shoved to the side or dug through. It was almost too easy to get to the surface. When we reached it, the cave behind us shuddered again. When we turned back to see what became of it, the sand gave way and began to fill it in. The Cipher Lab, once a tall and proud building, had been destroyed in the earthquake. I can only assume that was drilburs doing. I wasn't going to complain, that quake had scared off Ein and Shadow Lugia, saving our lives. But it was still a waste that we hadn't been able to save Serenity.

"Rui!" Silva ran forward and wrapped his arms around me. "You're alive! We thought you were dead!" He managed to hug pretty hard for a guy his age.

" _He_ thought you were dead," Duking explained, pulling him off and clapping me on the back. "The rest of us didn't think you would give up that easily." I smiled nervously. No need to tell him that I had broke down in tears before they arrived. I had made it through. That's all that mattered.

Fateen's cane whacked me on the back of the head. "Fool! Surrendering yourself is never an option! Do it again and I won't go so easy on you!" She put the butt of her cane on my sternum, tapping it thrice. "When we return to base, you will tell us of everything they did and you will not leave out a single detail!" She pulled a pokeball from her waist and released the pokemon from inside. The pidgeot that had flown them here emerged, ruffling her feathers.

"How did you guys know where I was?" I asked. As she boarded the oversized bird, adjusting her dress, she rolled her eyes.

"Some fellow that has nothing better to do than walk around a desert with two zigzagoons."

"Willie found me?"

"No," Fateen corrected. "He found the lab in the middle of nowhere and thought it would be noteworthy to tell a the people he knew, namely all those out Outskirt Sand and Wes when we went searching around that area. Now get on, Wes and you shall travel with me. The boys shall follow us on foot."

"What?!" Silva complained. "How far are we from Phenac City?"

"Far enough that you'll keep your mouth shut!" Fateen shouted, waving her cane at him. Silva stepped back instinctively. "These two have been harmed in battle and I am the only one that Pidgeot will obey! You two have done nothing but digging, I am plenty sure you are capable of walking! Am I wrong?"

"No," Duking said before Silva could. "We'll walk. Just don't leave us in the dust."

"I should hope you keep up!" Fateen gestured with her chin to where Wes and I would sit. When we were comfortable on the back of her pokemon, we took to the sky. Wes was able to hold himself up against the winds and constant movement of the bird, but I had to lean into him and hold on tightly to avoid falling off. I was exhausted. So exhausted. I fell asleep the whole ride and woke up after we had landed in Phenac.

Shadow Lugia And Cipher Admin Ein Fled!

Drilbur Used Dig!

The Team Cipher Lab Was Destroyed!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	28. Mew Ike Returns! Wes And Rui Romance!

Chapter 28

I don't remember walking into the mayor's house, having dinner or even lying down in bed, pulling the covers over me, and falling asleep. I do remember, however, the door to my room opening in the middle of the night, jolting me awake. Wes paused in the doorway, blinking in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you like that." Oh thank Arceus, it was just him. My body was programed to always be on alert at the lab that I hadn't gotten used to the idea of being safe again. Everything was ok now. There was no need to be like that anymore. "You wouldn't let Fateen look at you. Are you in pain?"

Actually, the cuts and bruises from the fight with Lugia were beginning to hurt. It would've been a good idea to take a shower and wash them out so they didn't sting so bad, or better, so I didn't smell. I rubbed my face with my hands, breathing deeply. My heart was still racing from him opening the door. Or maybe it was just him being in the same room as me after everything that went on back at the lab.

"Can I come in?" How long had I kept him waiting there? Long enough for him to ask.

"Yeah, if you want." He paused, as if he was waiting for me to change my mind, then continued in. I had been so jolted by his presence that I was awake now. My heart started beating when he sat on my bed and leaned against the headboard rather than just sitting on the edge. I was able to lean back as well, accidentally bumping against his shoulder. There was a moment I thought about pulling away but Wes took ahold of my hand and squeezed it, a signal to relax.

"Don't do that again." He paused, waiting for an answer.

"Do what?"

"Give yourself up so easily." He nearly interrupted me. "I saw how close Ein was to getting to you back there. I don't know what he would've done if I wasn't there. So next time, we find a way out together." It had gotten to him, then. Giving myself up to them had been a desperate decision I should've considered before making it. It wouldn't have been such a bad idea if Venus hadn't tried to blow them up. I studied his hands, avoiding his gaze. He was only wearing a tank and basketball shorts so it was easy to see that the fire had done damage, especially on his sides. Wait, did it go all the way to his back?

"Did you get burnt on your back, too?" I asked.

"We're not talking about that. We're talking about making rash decisions."

"Can you show me your back?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "If we're talking about rash decisions, than you should have no problem showing me that you didn't try to fight the flames to get me when they took me, right?"

"Rui, just promise me-" I raised his hand and pulled him forward so I could get a better look at it. He tried to pull his hand away but I kept my grip on it. Now that I was nearly in his lap, he started tugging for his hand back. For a moment, he considered leaving his current concern alone. Then, "Promise me you won't do that again."

"Promise me you won't make rash decisions either then." He opened his mouth in preparation to agree, but he stopped. Yep, he just realized he couldn't make that promise either. "Show me your back."

"Not until you promise." He tried pulling away again, tugging me further into his lap.

"I can't promise it until you do."

"I can't do that."

"Then I can't either." He glared at me.

"You're more important in this mission than I am. You have to swear you won't do that again for the sake of Bonding Shadows." He tried twisting his hand free but my grip was firm. "Rui, let go."

"I'm not any more important than you are," I protested.

"Rui." He was beginning to get angry.

"Why would you think I should get away free when you can go around hurting yourself?" He opened his mouth. "Why do you have to be in pain while I always have the right to be safe?"

"Because you mean everything to me!" He grabbed my wrists with both his hands and pulled me close to my face. His eyes were wild with anger. "Look at me! Ein was a minute away from you today! If I hadn't been there, you would've been hurt, tortured, or killed! Do you think I could ever live with myself if you died and I had just let it happen? Do you think I would ever forgive myself?!" He was serious. He would've lost it if I had died.

"You mean just as much to me," I protested softly. "You think if you had died trying to go after me, that I had given myself up for nothing?" His anger melted faster than an ice cube in magma. Now his eyes were looking into mine with such longing it made my heart race.

"I kissed you back then because I thought it was the only way to keep you from being mad at me," he whispered. He squeezed my hand in his. The gold in his eyes shimmered. "Am I wrong for wanting more?"

"No," I said quickly. I put my hands on his chest. "I want more-" He leaned forward quickly and took me into his grasp, where he started kissing me. His warm lips worked at mine slowly at first, growing with intensity with every movement. I did the same to him, cupping his cheeks to draw him closer. I could feel them heating quickly. I wanted to open my eyes and see what he looked like this close up, to see if he was staring at me with his passionate golden eyes. Instead I found myself engrossed just in his lips and the way he delicately moved them over mine. He was so delicate. Too delicate. It was driving me insane. The spark in my chest wasn't phased by it; it only increased my want for him, my burning desire to pull him closer. Not long after that I was grabbed onto him, balled his shirt in my fists and brought him so close to me that I could barely breathe without inhaling his intoxicating scent.

We were making out. Actually making out. After all this time I had been convinced he had died we were finally back together. And it wasn't anything like before. It was better. So, so much better. I guess the next couple hours we spent making out and hugging each other made us a real couple. Because when the early morning rolled around and the both of us grew tired, we retired under the covers and into each other's arms. Wes was already nodding off, golden eyes distant.

"I'm not leaving you," he whispered softly. His hand moved from my cheek down the side of my neck. "From now on, you're not leaving my sight." I gently cupped one hand over his and the other over his cheek.

"Don't do anything rash like that again. I know those scars are from the explosion." His gaze softened.

"I won't if you do the same."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Then we started kissing again. It wasn't as hot this time because we had been at it for hours. When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Wes lying right in front of me with a goofy sleep grin on his face. We were a couple now. It wasn't what I wanted from the beginning.

But it was more than anything else I wanted now.

Wes And Rui Are In Love!

Wes And Rui Used Sweet Kiss!

Double K.O.!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


	29. Mayor Or Traitor?

Chapter 29

"Ow!" I shrunk from Fateen's touch. "Why are you ripping things?!"

"Quiet, child!" The old woman grabbed my arm and sat me back down in the chair. "You think that getting sliced by a shadow god like lugia would be like getting a paper cut? Wrong! Infections, infections everywhere! These scabs harbor nothing but bad materials under them! All of them must come off, and all of them _WILL_ come off!"

I have to admit, when the mayor had offered me the largest shower in his house to use, I had been excited. When I realized that Fateen was going to accompany me in her old granny swimsuit, standing under the water tearing at my flesh while I sat naked in an old white lawn chair, all excitement vanished. I was in pain. A lot of pain. Lugia had left bruises, cuts, scars, and boils that Fateen was all too happy to get rid of. The floor of the shower was an unhealthy dark pink from all the ripping. By some miracle of nature I had managed to keep from crying and funneled all that into anger, but it wasn't helping my case.

"I'm losing a lot of blood," I protested. "Can't you let me get a break?!"

"We're more than halfway done, be patient." She leaned into my face. My orange hair was dangling in front of it, masking my expression. She brushed it to the side briefly before slapping it back on. "From the looks of your skin color, you are fine! You should consider yourself lucky! If Wes had been torn up as much as you, I'd have to do this over the course of a week! Your purifying powers make you a lot stronger than you think."

"It sure doesn't make it feel any better," I mumbled.

"Sit down and wash behind those ears!" She handed me a bottle of shampoo so red it nearly matched the blood spiraling down the drain. "And if I see you miss an ounce of your hair, I'll scrub it myself!" I caught a glance at her fingernails. Sharp and long: not what I wanted near my scalp.

As I went about scrubbing it she continued to tear and rip apart every part of my body that had been exposed to Shadow Lugia's sharp scales. It was painful and it took forever, but eventually it was finished. I thought we would have to wash the open wounds out with soap, but those were taken care of just by the flowing water. That hurt considerably less than the ripping. In fact after a while of soaking, it felt amazing.

Now pruned and clean, I stepped out of the shower and quickly changed into some new clothes. The mayor had gotten me a new outfit. It was much better than those white clothes that Ein had forced me to wear every day. Now I was back in my blue coat and pink boots; this was the life.

I stepped into the main room, adjusting my pigtails accordingly. I was surprised to find that besides Wes, Silver, Duking, Fateen, and the Mayor at the table, my grandparents had decided to attend as well.

"Rui!" They said in high-pitched relief. Grandpa darted forward and hugged me, lifting me into the air and spinning me around. I briefly considered asking him to put me down but quickly decided against it. I hugged him back. The sores hadn't made me cry, but this sure as hell did. Eagun was crying, Beluh was crying, even Duking looked like he might shed a tear or two. This was stopped by Silva who punched him in the shoulder, glaring. The bodybuilder quickly complied.

"We were so worried," Grandma Beluh explained, the first to pull away from the group hug. Grandpa kept his arms wrapped around me as she spoke. "We sent trainers near and far to find you. At first we thought we weren't going to find you at all."

"How did you find me?" I asked, gently pulling away from my grandfather. His eyes were draining tears almost as much as mine were. "How did you guys figure out where I was?"

"It wasn't us," Beluh continued. "It wasn't even any of our trainers. No, your friend Willie happened by the building one day when you were staring out the window." My jaw dropped in her direction. Like on cue, Willie sauntered in from the kitchen. His left eye was black, his right arm in a sling, and he was wheeling himself about in a wheelchair, both legs wrapped in heavy bandages. He smiled at me, one of his top teeth missing.

"Oh my god, are you alright?!" I ran over to him and kneeled at his side. Regardless of my concern, his smile was unwavering. "Willie, what happened to you?"

"I was training Ziggs and Zaggs," he started, voice stronger than I first anticipated, "and I happened to walk out a bit far in one direction. I saw the building in the distance and thought, hey, why not take a good run out to there? Well when I got there, there was an unmarked building with a bunch of goons running around it. I considered asking them what the place was doing in the middle of godforsaken nowhere when I saw you looking out the window." He chuckled. "I'm no dummy. I'd heard around Outskirt that you'd been taken away. I wish I had the common sense to get help _before_ I tried to save you. Managed to get away, though."

I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you so much, Willie! Thank you so much!" I could feel his face warming from my touch.

"Aw, shucks, Rui." He wrapped a single arm around me. "Anything for a friend." He was gently quivering, was he still in pain? I was about to ask when the mayor stood up behind us. He had a soft smile on his lips, almost like he was sad.

"It is amazing that they managed to find you. I'm glad that you're safe, Rui." I released Willie and turned to him.

"Thank you." My expression turned serious. "I need to tell you guys what happened while I was gone. Team Cipher has a terrible new weapon."

"New weapon?" Grandma and Grandpa joined hands. Eagun's voice had dropped low. "What do they have now?" The mayor raised his eyebrows.

"Another skarmory feather. This one is nothing but Haze." I pulled out my sword and clasped my fingers around the hilt. "It's evil. I could hear it whispering to me, beckoning me. I felt like it was trying to change me into a Shadow."

"A sword that does the opposite of what yours." Silva put his hand on his chin in thought. "They can't have been working on it for long if they got the idea from your sword."

"I know they haven't, or else they wouldn't have kept me there as long as they did. They did all these experiments, seeing how long I could run and how long I could hold my breath." I paused. "I think they began to realize I wasn't powerful at all, and that it was just the sword."

"But they couldn't change the sword," Wes added, "so they tried to get you to try theirs to change you instead." Eagun and Beluh exchanged glances.

"It's a good thing you didn't touch the sword, then." The mayor clapped his hands together. "Now, we must think about what to do next. I say we go ahead and-"

"Wait." I turned to him. "I didn't say anything about them making me touch the sword. How did you know that they tried that?"

The room was in silence for about three seconds of surprised epiphany before Evice pulled out a gun and placed it at Wes' head. The trainer closed his eyes and lowered his chin, gathering a calming breath. Silva and Duking made a move to grab them but the mayor cocked his gun loudly. Beluh was suddenly in Eagun's arms.

"Now, now. Hold still, everyone. I don't want to have to try and kill anyone." The mayor's voice had dropped to a raspy, scathing tone.

"It was you!" I pulled my sword into a defensive position. "That Ho-oh feather wasn't stolen, then. You took it out yourself! You put that same gun to my head that night I saw you sneaking out! And you could've killed me, but you didn't! You didn't know what use I would be to Cipher. Not until they did all those tests!"

"Smart." The hair on the sides of his hair popped out to the side a lot like a spring that had just broken it's tape seal. His eyebrows and mustache did the same; he was looking a lot like a porcupine. "Here's the deal, sweetie. I need to bring you back to headquarters for that final transformation. You know, the whole shabang with sword. If you want everyone here alive, you're going to need to come quickly." I flashed a smile.

"I can't do that."

"Oh?" He bared a full set of jagged teeth. "We'll see who's smiling now!" He pulled the trigger on the gun. The powder ignited and the aduible sound of the shot echoed throughout the room. Wes flinched and the others pried their gazes the other way. I, however, watched as the bullet from the gun refused to surface until long after the click, dropping to the ground. The psychic power that had enchanted the bullet was suddenly throwing the gun against the wall. Umbreon smacked the gun to the side and approached the mayor with teeth bared. Behind him, Umbreon was still holding the mayor in place.

"Good job, Espeon." A bead of sweat dropped down the side of my head. "I was hoping you read my mind."

"H-hoping?" Wes stammered.

"You're too late, sweetie." The mayor could barely talk through his forced shut teeth. "The plan with you fell through, so Cipher is going after the next best thing."

"Next best-?"

"Ho-oh," Grandpa figured out for me. "They're going after Ho-oh! We're leaving to MT. Battle now!"

"By the time you get there you'll be too late." The mayor cackled. "They've been climbing there ever since young Rui was first captured. You don't have the time." I could see him breaking the barrier to force a grin.

"We have plenty of time." I reached into my pocket. When I pulled the time flute I had repaired back on MT. Battle, Evice's expression change entirely. I didn't even wait for him to think of anything to say. The instant my lips touched the flute, the time traveling pokemon was right in front of me.

Celebi blinked, confused. Then she met eyes with me. A smile lit up her face.

"Rui!" Her voice was light and filled with life. She flew into my arms. I embraced her in a tight hug before holding her up in front of my face, arms under hers like a baby.

"I need your help."

"I figured." She blinked thrice. "To Mt. Battle with all of you?"

Mayor Used Transform!

Mayor Transformed Into Evice!

Evice Tried To Attack!

Attack Failed!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!


End file.
